Worldwide, melamine-contaminated sweets and drinks have been withdrawn from markets, following scandals over Chinese milk products contaminated with toxic chemicals.

However, these products remain in a large number of Yemeni supermarkets, grocery stores, and small shops, especially when some businessmen had large quantities of the product stored before the crisis.

Meanwhile on the other hand, a team sent by the General Authority for Standards, Metrology and Quality Control reported that the Yemeni market is free from the Chinese milk products, thus refuting the claims of locals and eyewitnesses.

Specialists stress that the concerned Yemeni authorities strongly needs means meant for testing the validity or invalidity of food products especially when the country runs a weak monitoring system.

According to the Yemeni agent for Chinese milk products, the Ministry of Industry and Trade announced that the volume of the Chinese imported milk is limited, but it never ordered withdrawing sweets and other Chinese-made chocolates, as they are also suspected of being contaminated with melamine (disease) as well.

The Ministry of Health has not yet reported any related cases so far despite Health Minister's instructions to medical facilities to monitor and report such cases.

Residents of rural areas remain the most vulnerable victims, partially because of their ignorance and illiteracy. Most of them assure that they have never heard of this problem as they are virtually isolated from the surrounding world

"Five months ago, my six-months infant was diagnosed with a kidney stone" said 27 year old Abu Aid Ali Al-Ahmadi. "I do not know the reason for the formation of this stone, but it is said that the contaminated milk could be the reason. I always buy Chinese milk for my kids as it is the cheapest. My doctor did not even know the reason for it to come at such a young age." he added.

Dr. Khaled Nashwan quoting international sources said that the company that sells milk apparently added chemicals, normally used in plastics, to make the milk richer in protein.

Peter Ben Embarek, a food safety expert from the World Health Organization (WHO) noted that many countries have recently fixed limits for melamine in foods as "melamine has nothing to do with the food chain".

Health consultants urged citizens to take infants using Chinese milk powder for check ups, adding that they have to avoid buying chocolates with the brand White Rabbet as it contains contaminated Chinese milk. "My twin daughters have been using Chinese made powder for two years now, and I fear diagnosing them with any disease," said 24 year old mother Afnan Abdu Mohamed.

Meanwhile, Chinese local authorities in Hong Kong announced that laboratory analysis found large quantities of melamine in two kinds of Cadbury China-made chocolates, hinting these products pose great risk to consumers' health.

Worldwide agents for the Chinese products announced that they have withdrawn three other snack products including potato chips that are produced by the Chinese factories. They also mentioned that the three products are being tested for contamination.

In addition, people say that melamine might have been added to other countries chocolate, saying that they would not trust such products anymore. "I stopped eating chocolate as melamine might be added to its ingredients," said an 18 year old student Mohamed Saleh Al-Salami.

On top of a long-standing boycott on Chinese dairy products, the government hasn't banned imports of Chinese milk-containing products for children such as biscuits and chocolates.

Finding tainted Chinese milk in the Yemeni market will damage the well-established trust of Yemeni people in Chinese products as China is the biggest manufacturer and exporter of commercial, food and consumptive commodities to Yemen, especially when they are expected to act as industry role models for safety and quality.

The incident is an embarrassing failure for China's product safety system, which was overhauled in an attempt to restore consumer confidence and preserve export markets after a string of recalls and warnings abroad over tainted toothpastes and other goods.

Earlier last month, 1,253 Chinese children were reported ill and two had died after Sanlu Group revealed its products contained melamine, which can be used to avoid milk quality test.

The Chinese dairy products industry organization estimated that China has the world's third biggest dairy sector by volume, after India and the United States. However, China will struggle to persuade consumers that its food safety standards are up to international levels.

Responding to a wide media campaign by Seyaj Organization for Childhood Protection, the Yemeni Minister of Information Hasan Al-Lawzi directed all state-owned media to launch a national awareness campaign against the risks of Chinese contaminated milk products.

Al-Lawzi pointed out that this comes in response to Seyaj's demand. “the Ministry has received a letter from Seyaj Organization demanding the ministry to launch an awareness campaign to warn citizens against contaminated milk products," read Al-Lawzi's letter.