(ECNS) -- The CCTV Financial Channel found 42.1 percent of 19 imported infant formula products sold online from seven countries it selected failed to meet China's food safety standards.
Eight of the 19 formula samples bought via online marketplaces, including Meiji, Aptamil and Meadjohnson, were graded as unqualified by the Inspection and Safety Center at National Food Quality Supervision or substandard levels of minerals including iron, selenium, iodine and manganese.
In addition, 15.8 percent of samples failed to meet the Chinese standard for vitamin content, the report said.
All brands sell extremely well on cross-border online shopping websites and are highly favored by Chinese consumers.
According to the test, three U. S. infant formula products were found to exceed China's food safety limits of 0.36mg /100kJ for iron, with the highest reaching 0.55mg/100kJ.
Nan Qingxian, a professor at China Agricultural University, said that the U.S. only imposes a minimum for iron content, but China also caps the permitted level due to different infant physiques and conditions.
Excess amounts of iron have negative effects on growth and might also cause gastrointestinal and intestinal bleeding over a long term, Nan added.
