NANTES, France - A French farm co-operative says that it imported 270 tonnes of melamine-contaminated soymeal from China.
Melamine is an industrial chemical that has been blamed for killing at least three babies and making 50,000 others ill in China through tainted infant formula.
Christophe Courrouce, spokesman for the Terrena co-operative, says tests conducted on the soymeal imported in October found levels of melamine up to 30 times the maximum level authorized by sanitary authorities.
He says the soymeal was used to produce feed for organic poultry, but that tests on animals revealed no contamination.
Terrena has withdrawn 800 tonnes of soymeal that came into contact with the contaminated pellets and suspended all soy imports from China.
