Food safety officials said on Thursday that none of the chemical melamine was found in 418 samples taken from newly-produced liquid milk of the nation's major brands in the most recent inspection.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ) announcement, posted on its website, concerned the latest tests of 65 domestic brands nationwide, as milk quality testing continued throughout China in the wake of a deadly contamination scandal.

No problems were discovered in samples from top-selling brands such as Yili, Sanlu, Mengniu, Sanyuan, Wandashan and Yinqiao, among others, according to the GAQSIQ.

A nationwide inspection of baby milk powder was ordered on September 11 after media reports that products from Sanlu and other Chinese brands contained melamine.

The GAQSIQ conducted tests on milk, yogurt and other dairy products sold under dozens of brands in 22 major cities. Testing has recently been broadened from baby formula to other types of milk powder.

In the previous inspection, on September 30, officials tested 265 batches of adult milk powder produced before September 14 by 154 companies, and the tests found 31 batches from 20 companies were tainted with melamine.

Industry and Commerce offices have been told to post notices in retail outlets that include brands and batch numbers of the tainted milk powder.

Some 13,000 infants nationwide have been hospitalized with kidney problems and at least three have died after drinking baby formula tainted with melamine, a toxic chemical added to raw milk to raise its apparent protein content.

(Xinhua News Agency October 3, 2008)