quality of milk in China-pasteurised/fresh

Posted by skitrees (1395 days ago)

I have heard that the quality of the milk in China is not good. I know about the scandal with the baby powder but what I am talking about is local pasteurised milk. Many expats here buy longlife milk becasue of this rumour(fact). I have done some searching on the internet looking for any information on this but have failed to find anything to support such a thing. Does anyone out there have any hard evidence to support this? I buy the local product and it certainly tastes fine.

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Posted by Marion (1374 days ago)

personally I wouldnt trust anything out of china in terms of food products. It is well known that there are sickening amounts of pesticides used when growing vegetables so I am sure this gets into the soil and feed that goes to cows and then into the milk/meat products. Better to be safe than sorry and not buy local, who knows, 1 yr down the line you might find out you were drinking poison.

Posted by skitrees (1374 days ago)

I don't drive here yet but we have a driver so getting anywhere is no problem (will you have a driver????) I will possibly get my license at some stage but am not really that keen to-you have to see how they drive. I would be willing to drive around this area as it is a bit quieter but will be using my driver to go into the city.-I class myself as a good driver- have just lived in Tokyo and drove everywhere there but it is a bit manic here-also it's the other side of the road. IF you want to get your license you are better to go through an agency such as Fesco-you pay around RMB700 for their services but I think you will be more likely to get your license as many people fail the first time-I wouldn't bother with the hassle of trying to do it myself.
I live in a villa near the airport and at the local shopping centre-which is only 5 mins from here-there is a doctors clinic. 20mins from here is the hospital that you would use for medical help-they have internationally trained/international doctors, dentists, paediatricians etc- it is very well set up-Beijing United Hospital. There is also an SOS clinic which is about 20-25 mins from the villas- again manned by an international team of doctors.

Posted by skitrees (1374 days ago)

Aussiemum-you will find that you and your children could get sick here due to being exposed to different bugs-I find that things like strep throat is more common here than in Oz. That is not to say they will get sick. Make sure when you come you bring things like cough mixtures and panadol for kids stc.
Regarding Ayi's-you will find one that speaks at least a little English. There are agency's here although you will be better off getiing one through someone you know who can recommend them. When you find out where you will be living etc-if it is one of the Villa compounds (versus in the city) let me know and I will keep an eye out for one for you. I fy ou live in the city area there is no point employing one from around the area I live in.
This is a great environment for a family-you will not regret making the decision to come here. We have only been here for 3 months and are really enjoying it .

Posted by skitrees (1374 days ago)

Aussiemum- there was an incdient here where fake formula was sold. This happened in rural China and some babies became really sick as they weren't getting any nourishment. I wouldn't be concerned about this as it was a local product- I wouldn't use locally produced baby products but this is just common sense here.
You can buy many imported products here such as baby formula and baby food and you could guarrantee they are the real thing- especially if you buy from one of the reputable stores such as Jenny Lou's or April Gourmet.
If you are moving here and have a shipment coming- bring as much of this stuff with you as you can. I would bring things like cereal etc as well- you can get them here but they are very expensive- especially compared to Oz.
If you have any more questions about things-I'm happy to help. When are you moving here?

Posted by aussiemum (1374 days ago)

Skitrees - thanks for info - we are comming up to "have a look" & find a place to live in mid Nov & then moving up a bit later, probably 1 March 05 as I was concerned about bring my kids in the middle of winter (they are aged 18 mths & 5yrs). I Australia the under 5's seem to catch endless coughs/colds etc, is this also the case in Beijing. Also, I would like to know if it is easy to get domestic helpers (housekeepers & nannies) who can speak english?? How to you go about finding helpers? Any advice is much appreciated!
Thanks again

Posted by aussiemum (1374 days ago)

Skitrees - thanks for the information. We will decide when we come in Nov where to live - The compounds near the airport (I've only seen pictures on websites) sound great for kids & families however I was concerned about being close to a good doctor. Is there one out where you are?? Also do you drive? I have heard it is difficult to get a license.

Posted by aussiemum (1374 days ago)

Thanks for the information & also positive comments about Beijing as I am a bit nervous as to whether I will like it - I guess we will get a much better feel when we get there. I think we will have a driver (sounds like a very good idea, at least at first). Could you explain exactly what that means ie; does that mean a driver is on call to you 24hrs a day ??

Posted by aussiemum (1374 days ago)

I would like to know about the "scandal with the baby powder" you referred to. I am about to move to Beijing with 2 kids, 1 still on baby formula.

Posted by Lily(homechina2004@yahoo.com) (1374 days ago)

Hi, Aussiemum,

We, EasyRentChina, are an experienced and professional realtor agent in Beijing. Leaving home can be difficult for all members of expatriate family but we are here to ensure the transition from home to Beijing as smoothly as possible by not only finding you the right home, but also help you with daily problems you may encounter, including recommending you an Ayi or a driver. You are always welcome to drop us an email or call us at (8910) 51667508/13311268163 to find out what we can do for you.