FDA issues warning on baby formulas made in China

WASHINGTON Baby formula sold in the United States by companies that have met regulatory requirements is safe from the melamine contamination, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement Saturday, based on a health information advisory it had released Sept. 12.

The advisory also warned members of Chinese communities in the United States that baby formula manufactured in China and available at Asian grocery stores could pose a risk to babies and advised against buying Chinese-made baby formula from other sources, such as Web sites. However, the FDA had contacted companies that manufacture baby formula for distribution in the U.S. and received information that they had not imported formula or source material from China.

An investigation by FDA, state and local officials of Asian grocery stores around the country, particularly in cities with large Chinese communities, has not turned up any Chinese baby formula.

The widespread melamine contamination of milk-based baby formula in China has sickened more than 50,000 children and created a political scandal. On Monday, Li Changjiang, head of China?s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, which monitors safety of food and other products, stepped down, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.