Melamine and other food safety and health scares in China: Comparing households with and without young children

The purpose of this study was to determine whether household responses to melamine and other recent food safety and health scares in China in recent years differed between households that did or did not have young children (less than six years of age). A consumer survey was conducted in Hohhot, China in September 2009, one year after the melamine contamination of milk was disclosed to the public. Households with young children who were not being breast-fed reported that they had reduced milk consumption by at least 1/3 in the immediate aftermath of the melamine disclosure and 39% reported that they cut out milk consumption altogether. A significantly higher percentage of households with children reported being concerned with the effects of melamine in milk and two communicable diseases: SARS and H1N1 influenza than were those with no children. A significantly higher percentage of households with no young children were concerned with the effects of Trace Sudan in chicken, Clenbuterol in pork, chicken eggs with red yolks, and excess iodine in milk powder than were those with young children. All households that reduced consumption of fluid milk following news of the melamine contamination reported a much greater concern with most food safety and health scares than did households that did not reduce consumption of fluid milk. Survey data revealed that most consumers had a relatively low level of knowledge of the Food Safety Law that went into effect just over three months before this survey was conducted.Households with children also were significantly more concerned about melamine and two communicable diseases, SARS and H1N1 than were households without children.

► Households with children are affected differently than those with no children when food safety or health incidents arise. ► Households with children reduced milk consumption by at least 1/3 in the immediate aftermath of the melamine disclosure. ► Most Chinese consumers had a relatively low level of knowledge of the new Food Safety Law. ► Households with children were more concerned about melamine, SARS and H1N1 than households without children.