China on alert for leather protein in milk supply

Chinese state media say the government will spot check the country’s fresh milk supplies for the industrial chemical melamine and another toxic substance extracted from leather scraps.

Both of the substances — melamine and leather-hydrolized protein are used in watered-down milk to make it appear to have normal amounts of protein.

The China Daily newspaper reported Friday that the Agriculture Ministry warned milk producers recently that it will carry out 6,450 spot checks on fresh milk this year.

The tests will look for trace amounts of melamine, the chemical found to be widely used in Chinese dairy products in 2008 and blamed for killing six children and sickening more than 300,000.

The paper says 30% of the checks will also look for leather-hydrolized protein.