So far, over 20 countries have either banned or restricted imports of Chinese dairy products, including Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and Japan. At the same time, safety checks of Chinese products are continuing around the world.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade of India said in a statement that it had introduced a three-month ban on all Chinese dairy products. India, the world's largest milk producer and Asia's third-largest economy, does not however import milk products from China, and the ban is intended as a preventive measure.
South Korea announced the ban after discovering that two brands of Chinese biscuits on sale in the country were contaminated with melamine.
Meanwhile, Iran has banned all Chinese products containing milk, Deputy Health Minister Rasoul Dinavand told Fars News.
The EU does not directly import milk or dairy products from China, and France's ban targets foodstuffs that contains Chinese dairy products as an ingredient.
Over 53,000 children, according to the Chinese health authorities, have been affected by tainted milk products in the country. Around 13,000 have been hospitalized, with over 100 in a serious condition.
China exported dairy products worth $359 million last year.
