Published on : 11/09/2024

On September 11, 2008, China's milk powder manufacturer Sanlu Group (三鹿集團) released a product recall statement, admitting that some batches of its infant formula had been contaminated with melamine.

The statement pointed out that the products involved were manufactured before August 6, 2008, and there were roughly 700 tonnes on the market.

Sanlu Group stated that, in order to be responsible to consumers, it decided to immediately recall all Sanlu infant formula produced before August 6, 2008.

Melamine is a type of chemical raw material that can increase protein detection values, but long-term intake can cause kidney stones in the human body.

As early as the beginning of 2008, there were already multiple reported cases of infant urinary system stones in places like Gansu Province.

After investigation, it was found that many of the patients had a history of consuming Sanlu infant formula.

According to China's Ministry of Health, as of the beginning of 2009, a total of 22.401 million people had received free screening, and a total of up to 296,000 sick infants had been reported.