Written by
Two men have been given the death penalty for their involvement in China’s contaminated milk scandal. The former boss of the Sanlu dairy at the centre of the scandal was given life imprisonment. They were among several sentences handed down by the court in northern China, where Sanlu is based. The scandal, in which melamine was added to raw milk to make it appear higher in protein, led to the deaths of six babies and made some 300000 ill. 10 Sept: 14 babies reported ill in Gansu province 15 Sept: Beijing confirms first deaths from the contamination 22 Sept: Toll of ill babies rises to tens of thousands – and eventually will rise to almost 300000 23 Sept: Other countries start to test Chinese dairy products or remove them from shops 31 Oct: Chinese media suggest melamine is routinely added to animal feed 24 Dec: The main dairy firm involved, Sanlu, is declared bankrupt 31 Dec: Four senior Sanlu executives go on trial 2 Jan:Firms involved ask for forgiveness in a mass New Year text message 22 Jan: A court in China begins handing down sentences
