BEIJING — An industrial chemical that made its way into China’s dairy supplies and that authorities blame in the death of four babies has turned up in numerous Chinese-made exports abroad — from candies to yogurt to rice balls.
British supermarket chain Tesco removed Chinese-made White Rabbit Creamy Candies off its shelves as a precaution amid reports that samples of the milk candy in Sing apore and New Zealand had tested positive for melamine — an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizer.
Chinese baby formula tainted with the chemical has been blamed for the deaths of four infants and the illnesses of 53,000 others in China. Health experts say ingesting a small amount of the chemical poses no danger, but melamine can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure. Infants are particularly vulnerable.
More than a dozen countries have banned or recalled Chinese dairy products — the latest was France, which does not import Chinese dairy products but has halted imports of Chinese biscuits, candy or other foods that could contain Chinese dairy derivatives.
The government described the measure as a precaution.
Indonesia on Wednesday also distributed a list of 28 products that it said may contain tainted Chinese milk, including Oreo cookies, Snickers bars and M&M chocolate candies.
U.S. and European consumer-safety officials urged Beijing to better enforce product safety standards.
Melamine has been found in infant formula and other milk products from 22 Chinese dairy firms. Suppliers trying to cut costs are believed to have added it to watered-down milk because its high nitrogen content masks a resulting protein deficiency.
Singapore’s Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority, known as AVA, recalled White Rabbit candies this week and said Wednesday that more Chinese-made food had tested positive for melamine, including Dutch Lady-brand banana and honeydew flavored milk, Silang-brand potato crackers and two kinds of puffed rice balls.
The crackers and rice balls listed milk as ingredients.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that White Rabbit candy has been added to its list of products being inspected at ports of entry but that no melamine-tainted goods from China have turned up yet.
