A Shanghai dairy producer was shut down by local authorities last week when its milk powder was found to contain excessive quantities of the chemical melamine, the Wall Street Journal reported. Although the shutdown of Shanghai Panda Dairy reflects more stringent inspection standards, Panda products remained on store shelves in some areas, even as three top Panda executives remained in detention. A tainted milk powder scandal in 2008 led to both domestic and international concerns over the safety of China’s food products, leading to new legislation that modified product standards and recall procedures. While Panda was one of 22 Chinese companies investigated during the 2008 scandal, new inspections revealed that rather than destroying tainted condensed milk, the company simply recycled it. In December, police in Shaanxi province detained three people for producing and selling milk powder contaminated with melamine.
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