On June 28, 2008, an infant in a Chinese hospital was diagnosed with kidney stones resulting from tainted infant milk formula produced by Sanlu Group, China's largest milk powder company. By September 20, 53,000 infants had become ill, 12,892 hospitalized, and four died from melamine-contaminated dairy products. Milk products from nearly two dozen additional Chinese producers were also found to be contaminated with melamine, including Mengnui and Yili, two well-known brands. The chemical was found in other dairy products as well. China's director general of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Li Changjiang was forced to resign due to the debacle, and 18 people, including the chairman of Sanlu, have been detained. Singapore, Japan, and even some countries in Africa announced a ban on imports and sales of Chinese powdered milk. This paper discusses the development of the melamine milk crisis from the perspectives of Sanlu Group, other milk producers, and the Chinese food supervision system as a whole.
