The parents of four mainland babies made ill by melamine-tainted milk powder were denied leave to appeal against a ruling that they may not claim compensation from Fonterra Brands (China), a Hong Kong-incorporated company with a 43 per cent stake in Sanlu Dairy Group, the company at the centre of the scandal. Small Claims Tribunal adjudicator Ada Yim Shun-yee said because the affair took place on the mainland, a court there would be more suitable to hear the parents' claim. Melamine, an industrial chemical, was added to milk to fake a high protein content.