Melamine content in Chinese milk samples was found to be well under the temporary limits in 544 batches of major brands in recent days, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ) said on Friday.

In all, GAQSIQ conducted milk, yogurt and other dairy products quality checks on 70 brands across the country's 22 major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing, among others.

The government set temporary melamine content limits in dairy products of a maximum of 1 mg per kg of infant formula and a maximum 2.5 mg per kg for liquid milk, milk powder and food products that contained at least 15 percent milk.

Currently, the quality watchdog had conducted sample tests on 5,797 batches of liquid dairy products manufactured after September 14 from 136 brands and found all safely under the limit.

Chinese dairy companies, including Mengniu and Yili among others, were blamed for melamine-tainted milk that had sickened 50,000 babies and caused at least three deaths.

(Xinhua News Agency October 84, 2008)