Bottled Dutch lady strawberry milk banned

jazeera

Dutch lady strawberry flavored milk packed in plastic bottle has been banned in Maldives.

Director General of Maldives Food and Drugs Authority (MFDA) Moosa Anwar said that this product packed in Singapore originates from China and contains a substance called Melamine which is dangerous to health.

"A toxin was added in the production of this milk. This causes various health hazards such as kidney stones…." Anwar said.

Anwar also said that this products is imported by VA private Limited and they have now told VA to withdraw the product from the market and also officials are being sent to shops to tell them to withdraw it. He also said that test kits are on the way to do investigations.

VA private limited said that they have stopped selling the strawberry flavored milk packed in plastic bottles since the time they knew there was a problem.

Trade Ministry also said that they are getting ready to ban the import of this milk product.

"We are now following the procedures to ban the import of this Dutch lady strawberry flavor milk from instructions by MFDA" Director General Usman Shakir said.

Dutch Lady has said products from Malaysia are safe to consume but those in Singapore packaging originate in China and could pose a threat.

The scandal broke two weeks ago after the Sanlu Group in China said it had sold melamine-laced milk powder.

Melamine, an industrial chemical normally used in plastics, is believed to have been added to diluted milk to make it appear higher in protein.

Sources say that over 54000 children have been so far badly affected by this milk in China with 4 deaths.