Melamine-tainted milk killed at least six babies and sickened 300,000 more in 2008. Because of it, parents are still cautious about buying locally manufactured infant formulas. (Photo : Getty Images)
Years after the tainted milk scandal in China, imported baby formulas are still highly sought after by Chinese parents. And getting their preferred milk through e-commerce seems to be the rising trend, the Global Times reported.
In 2008, news erupted about baby formulas that were contaminated with melamine, an industrial compound used in plastics, dishware and adhesives.
Some milk manufacturers dilute raw milk, and as a result, its protein concentration goes down. To increase its protein concentration, they add nitrogen-rich melamine, even though the practice is not approved in China or any other country, according to the World Health Organization.
The tainted milk caused the death of at least six Chinese babies. An estimated 300,000 more got sick as a result of drinking melamine-contaminated baby formulas. Many of them suffered from kidney stones.
After the highly publicized tainted milk scandal, there was high demand for imported milk in China. That demand is being met more easily through e-commerce websites where Chinese parents can choose the milk they want and place their orders online.
A survey conducted in 2011 revealed that about 70 percent of consumers buy imported infant milk because of the melamine scare, three years after the tainted milk scandal.
To meet the demand for imported baby formulas, Chinese authorities set up cross-border e-commerce platforms in 2012. These platforms acquire various products from overseas and keep them in warehouses in China, where they are made available to consumers through e-commerce.
Cross-border e-commerce platforms ensure that consumers get the products they need without dealing with websites written in foreign languages. And because the products are already purchased by local companies, consumers do not have to worry if customs will clear their orders or not.
As of 2014, there were more than 2,000 registered e-commerce platforms in China.
"Online purchases from overseas is an economic activity based on consumers' purchasing power, and, compared with other social areas, it provides an opportunity for equality and democracy to all people," Bao Yaming, researcher at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.
