How many victims have been harmed by the melamine milk scandal?

The latest figures reveal that nearly 54,000 Chinese infants have been sickened by melamine milk, but this number hasn't budged in over a week.  While the optimist in me would like to think that lack of change is due to the fact that they haven't found more injured babies, the realist in me is pretty confident that the numbers are probably quite a bit higher./span>

Reuters reports that the number of milk victims may have even hit 94,000, though the vast majority of those who have been infected are not in critical condition, and to date the Chinese government has only confirmed three melamine-related deaths, with most media outlets putting that number at four.   /span>

Deng Haihua a spokesman from China/st1 :country-region>'s Ministry of Health hasn't been authorized to provide updated information to the press or World Health Organization (WHO), but says they will publicize it "at an appropriate time."  The WHO disagrees with this strategy, and has stressed the prompt sharing of information with the public./span>

While China/st1 :country-region> hasn't been quite as forthcoming with information as most might like, however, the government has instituted new standards to ensure this problem doesn't happen again.  According to the new guidelines, baby milk formula must have a melamine content of less than 1 ppm, and other products with at least 15% milk can only contain a melamine content of 2.5 ppm, which is even less than the European Union standards of 3.0 ppm./span>

These trace amounts of melamine will not be harmful consumers, and will only come as a result of the plastic containers with the melamine chemical.  No melamine will be used as a milk additive, and complex testing methods are already set in place to ensure that melamine levels remain low./span>

In a sense, this is could be one of the safest times to drink milk in China right now, because of the higher quality standards and high consequences for putting false additives in milk products.  On the other hand, some skeptics won't be entirely convinced their milk is safe until they have their own reliable melamine testers. /span>

These new melamine standards should improve the quality of milk products throughout China/st1 :country-region>, but improving transparency by releasing current information on the number of children sickened by the melamine milk would also greatly restore consumer confidence. /span>