The 2008 Chinese baby milk scandal is a food safety incident in mainland People's Republic of China involving milk and infant formula which had been adulterated with melamine. By 22 September, nearly 53,000 illnesses, over 12,800 hospitalisations, and four infant deaths had been reported, caused by kidney stones and other renal failure. The chemical appeared to have been added to milk in order to cause it to appear to have a higher protein content. The same chemical was also involved in a series of pet food recalls in 2007. A different incident in mainland China in 2004 involving watered down milk resulted in 13 infant deaths from malnutrition.
At least 25 countries have stopped importing Chinese dairy products. In Europe, the French authorities ordered all Chinese dairy products off shelves; Tesco removed White Rabbit Creamy Candy as a precaution. African nations Burundi, Gabon and Tanzania have joined Asian countries Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia in banning Chinese dairy products.
The Chinese candy manufacturer Guan Sheng Yuan has stopped the selling of its White Rabbit Creamy Candy due to melamime contamination and has issued a recall to the 50 countries to which it exports the candy.