Premier tries to reassure consumers

Premier Wen Jiabao promised to improve Chinese food safety amid a widening scandal over tainted milk that has sickened thousands of children.

“We plan not only to revitalize the food industry and the milk powder industry, we will try to ensure that all China-made products are safe for consumers, and consumers can buy with assurance,” Wen said at the World Economic Forum in the port city of Tianjin.

The scandal erupted this month after melamine, used to make plastics and fertilizer, was found in powdered milk and linked to kidney stones in children. The chemical was also found in liquid milk, yogurt and other products. Four deaths have been linked to the chemical, and about 54,000 children have become ill after drinking contaminated formula.