
C: hey, there!
K: hello, Carl. Have you heard about the contaminated baby formula?
C: yes. Actually, I'm quite concerned about that. It's confirmed that 4 babies died and more than 6,200 infants nationwide have developed kidney stones after drinking the tainted formula.
K: what a tragedy!
C: I remember the public outrage when it was discovered that 171 infants had suffered malnutrition because of the ingestoin of inferior milk power in Fuyang City, Anhui Province in 2004.
K: food safety has been a long-standing concern nationwide.
C: well, I think this recent incident will have a far-reaching negative impact on the milk industry.
K: definitely, in the case of the tainted milk powder, for example, not only the offending company suffers losses, but the whole milk market suffers a sharp drop in sales.
C: yes, you are right.
K: but I don't know if it is only an isolated incident or whether it reflects a broader problem in the milk industry?
C: I guess it's an industry-wide problem, as 69 batches of baby formula produced by 22 companies have been found to be contaminated.
K: that's right. This will quickly undermine public confidence in the milk industry possibly for years to come.
C: definitely! With the public disclosure, buyers' confidence seems to be waning.
K: I think China's food industry needs a shake-up.