Swiss baby formula 'adulterated by Chinese partner'

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The Chinese partner of Hero Group, a major Swiss baby formula manufacturer, has been accused of deliberately mislabelling milk powder and a senior employee has been detained, officials said on Thursday.

Authorities in Suzhou in eastern China, where the Xile Lier company is based, said the firm had committed multiple offences, the person in charge Mou Jun had been arrested, and almost 25 tonnes of formula seized.

The news came after state broadcaster CCTV said the firm had been "adulterating" its product by mixing out-of-date formula with supplies imported under its partnership agreement with Hero.

It is the latest food safety scandal to hit China.

CCTV said government investigators had accused Xile Lier of illegal practices including mixing imported formula with out-of-date product, changing sell-by dates on packaging, and re-labelling formula for older babies as more expensive milk for younger children.

The Suzhou Industrial Park administrative committee said in a statement Mou was arrested in January, adding: "The case is under further investigation at the moment."

Separately, authorities in Suzhou told AFP they shut down production lines at the firm in November after a whistle-blower's report.

But the products, which are sold under the Hero Nutradefense label, have remained widely available in Chinese shops.