CAP refers to the recent scandal where 4 children in China died following the consumption of baby formula contaminated with the toxic chemical known as melamine. It's the same chemical at the center of a pet food scare in the United States last year, when US authorities connected the contamination to Chinese animal products.

Melamine is used as an ingredient in the manufacture of some plastics and fertilizers. Apparently, it is sometimes added by dishonest traders to animal feed in China. It is abhorrent if the same tactic has been deliberately used in children’s milk.

During the last week, Singapore authorities have found traces of toxic chemicals in three other brands of China products. It is reported that Singapore has already suspended the sale and import of all Chinese milk and dairy products, including milk, ice-cream, yogurt, chocolate, biscuits, candy and also any other products which contain milk from China as one of the ingredients.

It has also been reported that, earlier this year, 13 tonnes of Chinese-imported snacks were recalled from South Korea. The food safety regulators there reported that Chinese-imported cookies and cakes were last year found repeatedly to contain cancer-causing substances like cyclamate and nitrofuran.

The World Health Organisation has indicated that the delays in releasing critical information on the contamination of China’s milk supplies had hampered abilities to rapidly deal with the situation and warn consumers in time.

If you will recall, China hid the emergence of the disease known as SARS or severe acute respiratory syndrome in late 2002 and early 2003. Chinese authorities came in for scathing international criticism when the disease spread across its national borders.

The European Union is said to be seeking an explanation on the widening Chinese dairy scandal, while the UN’s children’s agency, UNICEF, is believed to be urging Chinese authorities to launch a full investigation into the scandal.

China’s track record in recent times is cause for concern, not only with milk products and animal feed but also with other consumer products such as toys and medicines.

Malaysia has recently imposed a temporary ban on China’s dairy products. Our health minister indicates that our country would stop imposing this ban once China has solved its problem in regard to the contamination of dairy products.

However, in the light of repeated problems with China products and the tendency towards secrecy which hampers quick action, CAP calls on the Ministry of Health not to lift the ban on dairy products any time soon. Instead, it could conduct an urgent nationwide check on other China products, including drugs and food, which may be contaminated with banned substances.

For a start, the ministry could check on the sweets and confectionaries from China that are being marketed here to children. These products contain colouring and other additives which are sometimes not labeled on the packaging.

The writer is president of the Consumers’ Association of Penang