Two businessmen have been executed in China over last year's melamine-tainted milk scandal, in which at least six children died, the Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.
The Shijiazhuang Municipal Intermediate People's Court sentenced Zhang Yujun to death for endangering public safety by dangerous means and producing more than 770 metric tons and selling more than 600 tons of melamine-laced protein powder from July 2007 to August 2008.
The court statement said Geng Jinping was executed for producing and selling toxic food and selling more than 900 tons of milk tainted with 434 kg of protein powder to the Sanlu Group.
A total of 21 people were sentenced for being involved in the scandal. Two of them were sentenced to death while one received a suspended death sentence that could be later converted to life. Another three were jailed for life, and the other 15 were given sentences ranging from five years to 15 years.
The contaminated milk powder killed at least six children and left another 300,000 ill. The melamine was added to the milk in order to make it appear richer in protein.
The scandal led to countries around the world including Russia banning imports of Chinese-produced dairy products.
MOSCOW, November 24 (RIA Novosti)
