Mainland dairies whose products were contaminated with melamine have lost their prestigious 'quality check exemption' as the deepening scandal again puts the controversial scheme under scrutiny.
The scheme was introduced in August 2000 by the quality watchdog - the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine - and exempts a wide range of products from rigid and routine inspections for three years if they pass three assessments in a row.
Most of the 22 companies whose baby milk formula was found to have been tainted were exempted in recognition of their high standards and consistent quality control.
But a lack of oversight has made the scheme increasingly irrelevant in terms of quality control. Indeed, the exemption has become more of a marketing tool for manufacturers.
On the list was Sanlu Group, whose products include the baby formula which first sparked the scandal involving melamine, a chemical added to milk before processing to raise protein levels for tests. Sanlu has been exempt since 2002.
Beijing-based lawyer Zhou Ze said the exemption scheme lacked a legal foundation, given that the country's product quality law did not endorse the practice.
Mr Zhou said the scheme was like a waiver for regulators to escape responsibility for maintaining quality standards, leaving it to manufacturers to regulate themselves. 'But [regulators] don't have the authority to free themselves of such responsibilities,' he said.
