Taiwanese baby milk powder contains killer bacteria

Taiwanese baby formula milk powder containing a deadly bacteria was among 852 batches of food, beverage and cosmetic products that failed quality tests.

    The unfit food and beverages include wines, frozen meat and fishes, water and biscuits from the United States, Japan and Spain, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine announced recently, according to the Beijing Business Today report.

    The administration found Enterobacter sakazakii in major Taiwan company Wei Quan Co's 9.624 tons of milk powders on October 17.

    Enterobacter sakazakii is a bacterium that in infants can cause meningitis, inflammation of the brain's protective membranes, developmental problems and death. It has a fatality rate of more than 50 percent in infants.

    In addition, Pauls milk, produced by Parmalat Australia, a subsidiary of the Italian food giant, was also among the 852 batches of food, beverages and cosmetics banned for containing excessive bacteria.

    The nation is cautious about baby milk powder quality since the Sanlu milk powder scandal. Sanlu was the first and biggest domestic dairy producers to sell products containing melamine, a chemical used to make plastics that was mixed into watered-down milk to give higher protein readings.

    About 296,000 infants suffered kidney stones and other problems due to the melamine.