Sales of domestic brands of dairy products in Beijing are increasing as consumers choose to stay away from imported labels.
Sanyuan, Guangming and Wandashan, the leading domestic brands of dairy products, are selling extremely well after dairy products, especially milk powder, from four European countries were removed from the shelves last weekend.
Dairy, poultry and other meat products imported from Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands after January 15 are suspected of containing the cancer-causing chemical dioxin.
Food-hygiene departments pulled 3,671 items off the shelves, including 40 kilograms of butter and 45,000 kilograms of other dairy products from the four countries, since the dioxin warning was circulated last Wednesday.
Though the government has assured consumers that only products that have been verified as dioxin-free will be sold, many are still steering clear of foreign products and are buying domestic instead.
According to the Beijing Economic Daily, domestic dairy products have doubled their sales since the scare started, including those of fresh milk.
Sanyuan Company is averaging sales of 100 cases of fresh milk every day compared with only 40 to 50 prior to the dioxin scare.