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SCMP Reporter

Cafe chain Starbucks has removed milk coffees from  menus after stocks from  liquid milk supplier Mengniu tested positive for melamine.
In an urgent response to  Thursday's announcement of dairy giant Mengniu's involvement in the  scandal, most Starbucks on the mainland voluntarily stopped supplying milk coffees from yesterday.
Customers were advised to switch to soya milk, produced by Hong Kong's Vitasoy,  as an alternative at the same price.
'Starbucks Coffee Company  is aware that Mengniu  ... has now confirmed contamination in certain lot codes of its liquid milk,' the company said.
'Though the milk we received from Mengniu is not included in the contaminated lots, due to the serious nature of this warning, Starbucks has voluntarily pulled all Mengniu milk offerings until further notice.'
The company said it would continue to work closely with Mengniu to further confirm safety of the   supplies.
Starbucks' Shanghai spokeswoman Caren Li  said the decision affected more than 200 of the approximately 300  mainland outlets. Its stores in eastern China, including Shanghai, would continue to offer milk coffees because they were supplied by Xinluyuan,  which is not involved in the scandal.
Ms Li said  foods made  from dairy products, such as cheesecakes,  were not supplied by any of the blacklisted  manufacturers.
She said the company was working to determine alternative suppliers and product offerings until the issue was resolved.
Four  children  have died and more than 6,000 been  made ill after drinking milk from powder laced with the toxin melamine.
The central government announced on Tuesday that products from 22 milk powder makers had tested positive for melamine.  On Thursday night it announced that the substance had also been detected in popular milk brands Mengniu, Yili  and Guangming.
Melamine is rich in nitrogen and is added to diluted milk by some unscrupulous suppliers to make it appear in inspection tests that the product is high in protein. It can cause kidney stones and other organ problems if  consumed.
In a Starbucks  in Beijing's  central business district, an assistant told clients that  'the removal was a precautionary measure because the company was testing the milk to make sure it was not contaminated'.
The assistant said the measure had not  affected business and most customers either switched to  soya milk or ordered black coffee.
But Eric Hu, a 30-year-old actor in search of a mocha coffee, said he felt the company had overreacted  despite meaning well.
'It tastes strange,' Mr Hu said. 'I feel like I'm in a breakfast chain drinking  soya milk. I only need a fried breadstick.
'According to the government guidance, the chemical can pass through your body if you don't drink too much. I think I can cope with one or two mochas, then.'



Milk coffees off the menu at Starbucks - try soya