Mr. Zhang suspected that the infant formula his baby was eating had quality problems and wanted to find relevant departments for testing, but this most basic requirement was stuck in a situation where it was passed around like a hot potato: when he went to the commerce department, they said to go to the quality inspection department; when he went to the quality inspection department, they said they did not accept personal applications; when he went to the hospital, the hospital did not have the capability... The entire process and path were almost identical to the actions of all parties involved before the melamine-tainted milk powder incident erupted... Would the tragedy of Sanlu milk powder be repeated? Commentary on the suspected "hormone milk powder" incident in Hubei Province by Zhao Guangquan, commentator for Health Times. Again, it's milk powder, and again, it's about children! "Three female infants in Wuhan who drank the same brand of milk powder all developed precocious puberty." Due to the sufficient reasons given by the Hubei commerce, quality supervision, health and other regulatory departments to pass the buck, whether the culprit is the milk powder or some other factor remains a mystery to this day! The report titled "Who Caused the Premature Puberty in Female Infants," published in the August 5 issue of Health Times, raises concerns after reading. For questionable "problematic food," finding which department can provide a scientific test and conclusion is incredibly difficult! In theory, if parents suspect there is an issue with the milk powder, it is reasonable to seek "relevant authorities" for testing. But in reality, this most basic request is "difficult." Mr. Zhang, the consumer mentioned in the article, found himself in a situation where he was passed around like a ball: when he went to the commerce department, they said to go to the quality inspection department; when he went to the quality inspection department, they said they do not accept personal applications; when he went to the hospital, the hospital did not have the capability... The entire process and path was exactly the same as the actions of all parties involved before the "melamine-tainted milk powder incident" erupted! People still remember the circumstances before the melamine milk powder incident occurred. Initially, infants and toddlers across various regions who consumed Sanlu milk powder began showing symptoms of kidney stones without exception. As these individual case information continuously reached the "relevant departments," each "relevant department" had ample reasons to push responsibility onto others, causing the situation to drag on unresolved, leading to increasingly worsening conditions. Eventually, under the intervention of the State Council, a storm-like crackdown by the relevant departments followed reflexively, resulting in shocking outcomes: 69 batches of products from 22 milk powder companies tested positive for melamine, nearly 300,000 children were affected, and China's dairy industry reputation suffered a severe blow. If it weren't for the occurrence of the melamine milk powder incident, parents' trust in infant milk powder safety wouldn't have become so fragile. The credibility crisis triggered by Sanlu milk powder has made the public deeply dissatisfied with the slow response of regulatory departments in handling crisis information, and they also have many complaints about food safety regulation. Under such circumstances, theoretically, the "relevant authorities" should possess the most basic vigilance, detecting and providing early explanations for suspected cases of this nature. This would be the most responsible explanation to consumers, merchants, and the public! However, contrary to expectations, the public still does not see such a sense of responsibility, decisiveness, and prompt action based on public food safety. What they still see is the same tone and behavior as when the melamine milk powder appeared: hormone testing is not an item in milk powder tests. To determine whether the milk powder is the cause of premature puberty in female infants, only testing can provide answers. And the results of the test will either be "yes" or "no." If not, the manufacturer can rest easy and there would be no need for actions like "visiting the child at home" or "giving the consumer 2000 yuan" as reported in the article; if not, the parents can rule out their doubts about the milk powder, helping them find other causes and actively and effectively treat the condition; if not, it would also resolve the public's doubts, saving the credibility of milk powder on the brink of collapse; if not, the media could stop here, warning the public to prevent infant precocious puberty and pay attention to food safety. If it is indeed the milk powder causing the problem, then one must face reality, and the regulatory departments should investigate the root cause of the problematic milk powder within the system, quickly take measures, seize the product, find the number of affected children in other regions and provide treatment, compensate the affected families, and prevent the recurrence of the melamine milk powder incident. Early testing, isn't its positive role clear? For those innocent and pitiful children, for more children possibly prone to precocious puberty to avoid harm, and for the reputation of manufacturers and the credibility of regulatory departments, we expect that the relevant regulatory departments in Hubei Province can proactively and swiftly conduct tests and promptly announce the results to resolve doubts. By the time this newspaper goes to press, Health Times has still not received any information regarding the testing of milk powder by the "relevant departments" in Hubei Province. The parents of the three patients are still anxious, and more parents want to know if it is indeed the milk powder causing the problem. More netizens are extremely dissatisfied with the sluggish work methods of the "relevant departments"... Expert Perspective: Urgent Need for Attention to Dairy Product Inspections Sun Shuxia, President of the Food Nutrition and Safety Professional Committee of the China Health Care Association: There are nearly a million users of domestic brand milk powders. If it is indeed a milk powder issue, who will guarantee the health of numerous children? The claim in the article that "hormones are suspected to be used to increase milk production in cows" actually exists in real life. In livestock and poultry farming, to pursue profit, there are immoral behaviors in every link of food processing, and the direct consequence is harm to people's health. As early as before the melamine incident in 2008, the Food Nutrition and Safety Professional Committee of the China Health Care Association, along with other departments, had reported to the China Dairy Association about the illegal addition of antibiotics, hormones, and non-protein nitrogenous substances in some milks, requesting rectification and inspections, but it was never taken seriously until the "Sanlu" scandal broke out. It is hoped that the relevant departments will quickly test the involved milk powder and give a positive response to consumers. Promoting Milk Powder Testing Is the Only Way Professor He Jiguo, Director of the Nutrition and Food Safety Department at the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University: Although the three cases of precocious puberty obtained from the survey are too few to be sufficiently convincing, for each female infant, this matter concerns their healthy growth and cannot be neglected or ignored. The ages of the three female infants are 4 months, 9 months, and 15 months respectively, and their main diet is milk powder. Other factors may also lead to precocious puberty, but personally, milk powder is still the primary factor that needs to be investigated first. The involved batches of milk powder must be strictly tested as soon as possible because if the problem lies in the milk powder, the number of affected children nationwide will not be limited to these three. It would be best to divide the tests into two parts, one conducted by the local professional pharmaceutical inspection department and the other by a third-party institution, to avoid interference from other factors in the testing process. New Cases: Up to the time this newspaper went to press, our paper received calls from readers reporting that a 10-month-old female infant in Fengxin County, Jiangxi Province, an 8-month-old female infant in Linyi City, Shandong Province, showed symptoms of precocious puberty, and a 3-month-old male infant in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province had excessive estrogen levels, all of whom had been drinking the involved brand of milk powder since birth. Reader Feedback: On the day this article was published, it was recommended to the homepage of the Health Channel of MSN Chinese website, and dozens of netizens continuously refreshed and commented. Our editorial department received numerous inquiries from readers, expressing strong indignation over the lack of clear results and strongly hoping that the relevant departments would intervene in the investigation and publish related results as soon as possible. Media Follow-up: On the day this article was published, many well-known media outlets such as People's Daily Online and Sohu.com immediately reprinted it. The MSN website launched a survey titled "A four-month-old female infant's breast development suspected to be caused by milk powder." By 9:30 AM on August 5, a total of 1,813 people participated in the survey. Among them, 67.27% of the participants believed that babies, apart from breastfeeding, only consume milk powder, and the manufacturer is suspicious; 29.32% of the participants were skeptical and hoped to uncover the truth; 0.91% of the participants believed that the milk powder had no issues. Official Response: Since July 26, when the Changjiang Business Daily issued an urgent official letter, the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention has visited the families of the three female infants mentioned in the article. However, there has been no progress in the testing of a certain brand of milk powder that is highly suspected. Manufacturer Reaction: The reporter called the milk powder manufacturer mentioned in the article, and the personnel responsible for nutrition and child development consultation insisted that the milk powder produced by the company contained no sex hormones, and all series of milk powder underwent strict testing. Regarding the question of "three female infants drinking the same series and batch of milk powder from the brand, without other food sources," the staff believed that the causes of precocious puberty are diverse, and the causes of most clinically premature children remain unknown. Regarding this event, Health Times will continue to follow up. If the children are suspected of having premature puberty due to milk powder, please call: 13810105663.