Geng Jinping and Zhang Yujun were executed on Tuesday, November 24, 2009, for selling 3 million pounds of milk selling and consumption of milks tainted with melamine sickened more than 54,000 children and 4 had died, and by the end of the month China reported a total of 300, 000 victims.
Geng Jinping was convicted for producing and selling toxic food while Zhang Yujun for producing 800 tons of the contaminated powder. Other peple involved in the contamination of Sanlu milk products were fired and put into prison on January 2009 like the board chairwoman and general manager of Sanlu Group Tian Wenhua was sentenced to life in prison, Sanlu deputy general managers Hang Zhiqi and Wang Yuliang were sentenced to 15 years in jail, and former manager Wu Jushen to 5 years.
The 2008 Chinese Milk Scandal not only killed and sickened young and old folks but also damaged the reputation of China’s food exports. More than 10 countries stop exporting not only their dairy products but also other Chinese products were affected because of this scandal.
Melamine is commonly used in ceiling tiles, coatings and laminates, fabric coatings, lame retardants, and wood adhesives. It is sometimes illegally added to food products like in Sanlu dairy milks because it can fool the common tests, tests that rely on measurements of the level of nitrogen, to increase the protein content.
PHOTO CREDIT : Xinhua / Ding Lixin
