A 70-year-old man who frequently drank milk tea, worried about consuming toxic creamer, went to the hospital for a health check-up. Unexpectedly, a large stone was found. However, doctors stated that it cannot be determined to have a direct relationship with dairy products and urged the public not to panic excessively.

To identify victims of toxic milk powder, urology departments at government hospitals are offering free kidney stone screenings. Yesterday, 62 people registered for screening at the Taipei branch, with anxious parents bringing their children for check-ups.

A man in his 70s was found to have a large kidney stone. The patient admitted to long-term consumption of milk tea and was alarmed by recent news, prompting him to seek a hospital check-up. Unexpectedly, he became a victim of toxic milk powder.

However, Lin Shui-long, director of the Taipei branch, believes that although the elderly man has kidney stones, it is difficult to determine a direct link to dairy products. Theoretically, it is easier to judge kidney stones in children.

Additionally, the toxic milk incident continues to escalate, affecting even vegetarian products. The Department of Health urgently announced late last night that all food or semi-finished products containing plant-based proteins and dairy products manufactured in mainland China must be removed from shelves and sealed within 24 hours, and can only be sold again after passing inspections.

Cai Jing-min, head of the Biotechnology Department at Chung Yuan Christian University, stated that soy protein, a plant-based protein, is widely used in processed foods as a meat substitute, such as vegetarian chicken, duck, fish, dairy-free cakes, and even meat floss and sausages.

Cai pointed out that Taiwan imports a significant amount of soy protein annually. If these raw materials are indeed problematic and contaminated with melamine, the impact would be extensive, rendering many products inedible.

Lin Hong-rui, general manager of Suiis, a company specializing in vegetarian products, believes that the mainland toxic milk incident has little impact on long-term vegetarians, as they are usually cautious about the source and labeling of their food to avoid consuming non-vegetarian items. However, semi-vegetarians are more likely to consume contaminated vegetarian products.

"Is the ingredient from mainland China?" "Is it produced in mainland China?" Lin Hong-rui mentioned that due to the impact of toxic milk powder and creamer, people are panicking. Recently, many consumers have been inquiring, and if the product is indeed from mainland China, they almost certainly will not buy it.

Lin Hong-rui stated that according to unofficial data from the Ministry of the Interior, there are about 2 million vegetarians in Taiwan. Currently, the main sources of soy protein and soy fiber for vegetarian businesses are the United States and the Middle East.

Industry insiders suggest that the government should strictly control and order the sealing of all food imported from China. Only after confirming safety should the public be informed about what products are safe to consume, to prevent public panic.

Source: http://health. chinatimes. com/ contents. aspx? cid=5,68& id=2731