Nestle sends experts for melamine tests in China

[Coventina]

Source: Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — The head of European food giant Nestle said Friday the company had mounted a "sizable effort" to ensure the safety of its dairy products in China, sending in scientists and specialized machines in the wake of the melamine contamination scandal.

"From the first moment, the first minute we heard about the problem, we mobilized quite a sizable effort," CEO Paul Bulcke said at a news conference to inaugurate a research and development center in Beijing. "We mobilized close to 45-50 people worldwide to be part of the solution and containment of this problem."

(snip)

Nestle sent in 20 scientists from its research base in Switzerland to production sites to help set up specialized techniques for detecting melamine and similar compounds, according to Chief Technology Officer Werner Bauer. In addition, two highly specialized machines that can detect minute traces of melamine are currently being used at the new research and development center.

Since the scandal broke, the company began voluntary testing of all its dairy products produced before September 2008. All of its products have been certified by the Chinese government as safe, he said.



Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ijTbXf_wso5ziuJ8AsWX62__NG5gD945E3T01

[vanlassie]

1. Nestle is not a company to be trusted.

[noonwitch]

8. My family has boycotted Nestle for decades

Because of the way they marketed baby formula in the 3rd World-encouraging poor women to spend all their money on formula, depriving themselves and the rest of the family of food money, when they could be breast-feeding the babies for free.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. N-E-S-T-L-E-S, Nestles makes the very best . . .

Melamine.

Nestles also has a bad history of pushing mothers in Central and South America to forego nursing in favor of their powdered formula, while knowing the only water available to use with the mix was quasi-polluted.

[onehandle]

3. "certified by the Chinese government as safe"

Excuse me while I throw up this Nestle's Bar.

[amdezurik]

4. it does not comfort you to know

that if it kills your family that China will pluck someone out of a crowd and put a bullet in the back of their head? gosh i am sooooo impressed with their "concern" for our health...

[MgtPA]

5. NESTLE, are you kidding me?? Off to purge the cupboards...(eom)

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. 2 words

Halloween
candy :yoiks:

[comtec]

7. And here I thought we could trust them to label their candy HONESTLY!!!!

Jebus H Kert!

[jwirr]

9. Stupid question BUT isn't melamine the material those old plastic

dishes used to be made of? I still use some of them. Edited to say that I have not forgiven this company for the breast feeding insident.

[Azlady]

10. Yep, cleaned out my cupboards and have started calling food mfgs about their ingredients.. n/t

[eilen]

11. The assholes should have kept the factory in Fulton running.

Then maybe there would be no question of possible poisoning of their customers.

[jmowreader]

12. That only counts if none of the ingredients come from China

But seeing as how so many ingredients are sourced from there, it's gotten to the point where something "Made in USA" could be full of melamine.

There are some DUers pushing for Country of Origin Labeling on all the ingredients in a packaged food product--which is an excellent idea.