For illustration (Photo: AFP)

After Chinese health watchdog announced that it had recalled the ‘Quanyou’ formula milk powder made by Mongolia Yili Industrial Group, because of its high content of mercury; the Department of Food Administration in Vietnam was quick to confirm that this product had not been certified in the country since 2009.

Vietnam’s Department of Food Administration immediately contacted the Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine to verify information on the tainted dairy product and its contents.

Responding to Vietnam’s request, the Chinese product quality watchdog replied that it has only just discovered that the formula milk powder, ‘Quanyou’, contained such high levels of mercury.

Along with a formal request to the Chinese government product quality watchdog, Vietnam’s Department of Food Administration conducted a thorough check on imports and issuance of standard certificates to products and found that the milk powder had not received any clearance certificate since 2009.