Fearing tainted milk, Asian groceries yank dairy products

By Jeff O'Brien

Monday, Sept. 29, 2008 | midnight

Some Asian grocery stores in the Las Vegas Valley have stopped selling milk products imported from China. They've cleared their shelves of such products as a precaution because of the scandal over tainted milk in that nation.

It is believed that suppliers in China, seeking to cut costs, added the chemical melamine to several brands of baby milk as a thickening agent to make it appear as if its protein content was higher than it really was.

Although small doses of the chemical pose no danger, excess amounts of melamine can lead to kidney stones and kidney failure, especially in infants. Some 50,000 people have become sick in China because of the problem.

Since the first week of September, more than a dozen countries have temporarily banned or recalled Chinese products containing milk, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration hasn't discovered any traces of the chemical in Chinese goods entering America.

Nevertheless, some local businesses aren't taking any risks. At the 99 Ranch Market, at 4155 Spring Mountain Rd. in Las Vegas' ChinaTown Plaza, several brands of milk, powdered coffee and candies have been removed from shelves as a precautionary measure.

Benjamin Chen, vice president of operations at 99 Ranch Market, said his store found out through a Chinese newspaper which brands were questionable and removed the items in mid-September.

"A lot of Asian people like to mix their coffee with milk," Chen said. "We also removed the White Rabbit brand of candies, which was one of the brands in question."

The 99 Ranch Market on Spring Mountain has been open since 1996, and Chen said it features a variety of groceries from China, Korea, Japan and the Philippines.

"We only had to remove a few brands," said Chen, a native of Taiwan. "Our store still offers plenty of other options. There will be some loss of sales, but it shouldn't be too bad."

Ivy Cabrera, manager of Mayon Asian Market at 4012 N. Tenaya Way, said her store is not currently selling any milk or dairy products.

But when Cabrera and her staff began hearing rumors of tainted milk in China in early June, they removed White Rabbit candies -- which contain milk -- from their shelves and stopped ordering them.

"We always make sure to check the expiration dates and check for any holes or tears," Cabrera said. "We have other products come here directly from China such as crispy anchovies and potato chips."

The latest scandal involving tainted milk in China is yet another hurdle for the Asian food market, said Cabrera, who is from the Philippines.

"We get our rice from Thailand and there has been a shortage of rice over there," she said. "The cost has been going up. It's frustrating because we can't control it."

At the Nevada Asian Market, 450 S. Buffalo Dr., manager Jerry Delarmente said he's not carrying any milk or dairy products in his store.

"It's too bad what's going on over there," Delarmente said. "Hopefully, China will improve its regulations on food quality."

Jeff O’Brien can be reached at 990-8957 or [email protected].