Shanghai registered trading firm, Jiang Di International Trade Co, repackaged 276t of the out of date milk powder into smaller packages for sale online or through retailers across several provinces at lower prices.

Shanghai’s police and Food Safety Authority found the repackaged products in a raid on a retailer’s warehouse. These led to further raids on Jiang Di’s warehouse where they confiscated 109 tonnes of the out of date milk powder. The remaining 166t had been sold on to retailers.

The online operation was closed down by the authorities.

Authorities in China take a very poor view of any tampering of milk products after the major melamine scandal in 2008 where six babies died and 300,000 were treated when criminals adulterated milk with melamine to raise its protein level.

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