The Health Ministry in Beijing has declined to release updated figures revealing just how many children have been affected by the tainted milk scandal.The ministry said it has new statistics showing how many babies are believed to have been left ill by the crisis, but did not release the data or indicate when it would make the latest information public.
"We've not released the latest number of cases because it is not an infectious disease, so it's not absolutely necessary for us to announce it to the public," a health ministry spokesman said.
Previous official figures said milk powder tainted with the chemical melamine has killed four children and made another 53,000 ill.
Experts say the milk crisis will likely cost billions of dollars, disrupt millions of livelihoods, and that it could be a year before consumer confidence in dairy companies is restored.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
