Chinese dairy exec: I knew of problems

BEIJING - An executive for the dairy company at the heart of China's tainted-milk scandal admitted knowing there were problems with Sanlu-brand products for months before she informed authorities and pleaded guilty yesterday to charges that could lead to the death penalty, state media reported.

The trial of Tian Wenhua, former board chairwoman and general manager of Sanlu Group Co., was the most high-profile yet in a food-safety crisis widely seen as a national disgrace, highlighting corporate and official malfeasance.

At least six babies died and nearly 300,000 were sickened by infant formula tainted with the industrial chemical melamine. Tian, three other top Sanlu executives, and the company itself were charged with producing and selling fake or substandard products, the official Xinhua news agency said. The executives could be executed if convicted, the China Daily newspaper reported.

The trial in the Shijiazhuang Intermediate People's Court concluded last night, but no verdict was announced, said a duty officer at the court, who did not give his name because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

As the trial began earlier in the day, Tian told the court she learned of consumer complaints about problematic milk in mid-May and led a company team set up to handle the case, Xinhua said. She told the court that she did not submit a written report on the situation to the government in northern China until Aug. 2. The emerging details showed how news of the contamination slowly emerged over several months, becoming public in September.

Sanlu received complaints about its baby formula as early as December 2007, with some parents saying they noticed red sediment in their children's urine, Xinhua said, citing prosecutors. The complaints reached top executives, such as Tian, in May.

After product testing, the company learned Aug. 1 that its baby formula was contaminated with melamine, Xinhua said, though previous state media reports have said it was as early as June. Tian's report to local authorities was submitted the next day.

Sanlu did not issue a public recall until Sept. 11, reaping $6.9 million in sales of toxic formula, Xinhua said.