Taiyuan, , CHN

May 17, 2011 10:44 AM

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Yan Yan / Xinhua News Agency/Newscom

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Yan Yan

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(110517) -- TAIYUAN, May 17, 2011 (Xinhua) -- A dairy farmer works at a milking station in Jingzhong, north China's Shanxi Province, May 3, 2011. In order to ensure the safety of dairy products, authorities have reexamined the production qualification of dairy factories nationwide. The standard of dairy industry had been raised, including plant building, manufacturing and testing equipment and hygiene management, unqualified factories would not be licensed. By March 31, 2011, among the 1,176 dairy enterprises in China, only 643 passed the reexamine. In Shanxi Province, only 12 companies, less than one third of the total dairy companies, were qualified for the new standard. China is waging a prolonged and stringent fight against the illegal use of additives in food, vowing to intensify supervision, upgrade safety limits, and greatly increase penalties for violators. The Chinese government has ordered an intensified crackdown on the illegal use of non-edible materials in food, illicit drugs or any other materials that jeopardize human health are banned in the growing, cultivation, processing, and transportation of agricultural products. In 2008, China's food industry suffered a heavy blow when milk products were found to contain dangerous levels of melamine, which were intentionally added to make milk appear to be protein-rich. The toxic milk killed at least six babies and sickened 300,000 others across the country. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)(yrz)