Costa Rica Restricts
Chinese Milk Products
Costa Rica has imposed
restrictions on Chinese
milk products in the
midst of the scandal
over China's tainted
milk. Costa Rica's
ministerio de Salud
(Ministry of Health)said
it would monitor imports
at customs and remove
any milk products which
could be suspicious.
The ban is in addition
to the removal of all
Chinese candies from
store shelves earlier in
the week.
"We are going to retire
all the products of this
type that we find in
commerce. Nobody can
sell any milk products"
coming from China, said
Salud minister María
Luisa Avila.
At least four Chinese
infants have died as a
result of consuming
melamine-contaminated
milk powder, while some
13,000 infants were
hospitalized and 40,000
others experienced
health problems,
according to China's
health ministry and
state media.
Import restrictions or
outright bans have been
put in place around the
world, including
Indonesia, Vietnam,
Cambodia, New Zealand,
India, South Korea,
Nepal, Hong Kong, the
Philippines and Taiwan.
In 2007, internationally
distributed toxic pet
food and melamine-
contaminated meat or
wheat protein was traced
to Chinese producers,
and a food scare in
Japan in early 2008
involved frozen
dumplings imported from
China.
Melamine is a toxic
chemical used as a
binding agent and
coating for particle,
fiber and laminated
board. It is also used
to make fertilizer.
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