China authorizes eight baby formula testers

A woman shops for baby formula at a supermarket in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province, June 19, 2013. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

BEIJING - The China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) announced on Tuesday that it has authorized eight testing centers for baby formula products to improve security.

The eight are located in cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan and in the provinces of Shandong, Anhui and Heilongjiang, the CFDA said.

In production license examinations, local food and drug authorities first make inspections of company premises. They then send the samples collected to at least two of the centers for testing.

The CFDA ordered the centers to use strict rules in accord with national standards for baby formula products and food security.

The credibility of China's dairy industry was damaged in 2008 when milk laced with melamine, a chemical added to milk products to make the protein content seem richer, made 300,000 children sick and killed six.