The FDA is advising consumers in the US to avoid all infant formula from China, which may be available in ethnic stores within the US. Although we haven’t seen any official warnings as yet, we would presume that the same would be true of other countries that may stock Chinese formula in its ethnic stores.
The reason for the alarm is that several brands in China have been found to contain a chemical called melanine, which is used in making plastics. From reports that we have read today, one baby has died as a result of consuming this formula and many others have been dignosed as having kidney stones.
The FDA has stated that all US infant formula brands are safe and that no Chinese brands are approved for export to the US. Nevertheless, the possibility exists that there may be some for sale, particularly in areas such as San Francisco and New York, which have large Chinese immigrant populations – and in other such areas across the world.