FDA Restricts Chinese Food Imports

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The public learned about melamine-tainted infant formula in China in September.

Now, months after melamine-tainted candy and beverages have turned up in other countries, including ours, the FDA has restricted the import of some Chinese food products.

According to a Wall Street Journal article, the agency has restricted the entry of all food products from China containing milk after inspectors found evidence of melamine contamination. The products are now being held at US ports.

The affected items include baby food, baked goods, breakfast food, candies, chocolate products, cheese, ice cream, beverages, pet food and lab-animal food.

The FDA has been warning consumers to avoid certain products from China containing milk, but now the burden has been shifted to China. Importers will now have to prove their food and drink shipments don't contain the industrial chemical melamine before they can be released to US markets. (Though it's surprising that this was not a requirement sooner.)

The AP reports that it is unusual for the FDA to put such a broad hold on products from an entire country, and not just a few manufacturers.

For more information on melamine in Chinese milk products, visit the FDA's website. The CDC suggests special warnings for US travelers to China.

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