China milk producer, Maiquer has been slapped with a Rmb 73.15 million (US$10.73 million) fine by a local market supervision watchdog for excessive use of food additives.
The market supervision bureau of Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Changji, Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where the company is located, said that certain batches of the milk contained food solvent propylene glycol, which made them non-qualified products. With this findings, the government decided to confiscate a total of Rmb 360,154 (US$51,360) in illegal revenues of Maiquer, along with all the non-qualified milk, and the company was also fined Rmb 73.15 million (US$10.73 million).
Officials in Zhejiang confirmed in July that 2 batches of Maiquer milk were found to contain excessive amounts of propylene glycol. A preliminary investigation and analysis showed that the detection of propylene glycol in Maiquer pure milk was indirectly caused by the excessive use of food additives and flavors in the production process.
Maiquer had suspended production of pure milk on 3 July, and has underwent strict examination of all its sales and production procedures and transportation. In August, the company said that the adjustment has been made and it is gradually resuming production of milk.
Dairy products accounted for around 50% of Maiquer’s total revenue.
