KULOB, November 20, Asia-Plus — 349.5 kilograms of unqualified Chinese dried milk have been withdrawn from two as well as infectious disease hospital in Kulob.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Said Davlatov, head physician of the Kulob Center for sanitary and Epidemiologic Supervision, said totaling 39.5 kilograms of unqualified Chinese dried milk were confiscated from six small traders at the markets Sakhovat and Somoniyon and 310 kilograms were withdrawn from local infectious disease hospital on November 19.
According to him, the small traders said that they had purchased the dried milk at the warehouse Safar in Dushanbe, while the hospital purchased 500 kilograms of the Chinese dried milk from the Kulob private company, Emom Ghulomov, several months ago. “The hospital has already used 190 kilograms of the dried milk and only the remaining 310 kilograms have been withdrawn from the hospital, the head physician said.
The lab tests have shown that “acidity and humidity exceeds the permissible level several times, while some boxes have strange smell,” Davlatov said, noting that inspections of markets are under way.
Samaridididn Aliyev, head physician of the Republican Center for sanitary and Epidemiologic Supervision, confirmed that information. According to him, the unqualified dried milk could be delivered to the country illegally.
We will recall that speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus on October 17, Abdurasoul Sharifov, a spokesman for the Tajik Customs Service, said no Chinese products containing milk have been delivered to Tajikistan since the beginning of this year. According to him, chocolate products such as Snickers, Kit Kat, and M&Ms that are realized in Tajikistan have been produced not in China but in Iran and Saudi Arabia. “All products imported into the country undergo appropriate examination at customs and standardization bodies for getting certificate of quality,” said the spokesman, “After receiving an official letter from the Ministry of Health on putting ban on import of Chinese products containing milk, customs officers carefully control imports of dried milk and milk containing products.”
The Ministry of Health (MoH) in mid-October sent an appropriate letter to the Customs Service, Agency for Standardization, Metrology, Certification and Trade Inspection, as well as the State Service for Pharmaceutical Activity Supervision on putting ban on import of Chinese products containing milk.
According to a MoH, such a decision has been made in connection with Chinese milk scandal, which, according to international mass media, has seen 53,000 children sickened and four killed by milk laced with melamine, an industrial chemical normally used to make plastics. When added to milk, the toxic chemical can make it appear richer in protein.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 47 000 infants and young children in China were hospitalized in September and October this year for urinary problems, possible renal tube blockages and possible kidney stones related to the consumption of melamine contaminated infant formula and related dairy products. Four deaths among infants have been confirmed and cases have also been found in Hong Kong SAR, Macao and Taiwan, China. Kidney stones in infants are very rare.
Countries have also reported finding melamine in milk containing products, dairy and non-dairy products manufactured in China. So far, contamination has been found in liquid milk, frozen yogurt dessert, biscuits, candies and in coffee drink. All these products were most probably manufactured using ingredients made from melamine contaminated milk. The non-dairy products are animal-based (e.g. eggs) and are likely contaminated through animal feed tainted with melamine. Some countries have taken a range of measures to restrict or ban imports of a number of food products from China containing milk based ingredients.
