AUTHORITIES in Hunan Province will form a task force to investigate a maternity product store that was allegedly selling a protein powder drink as infant formula, leading to serious health complications among children, Hunan Daily reported Thursday.

The joint team from the provincial and Chenzhou City market watchdogs will investigate the Aiyingfang maternity store, which was accused Monday of fraud and falsely advertising the product in a news program aired on Hunan TV.

Several parents in Yongxing County, Chenzhou City, complained that their children had protruding skulls, delayed development, rashes or slapped their heads uncontrollably. After examination, doctors diagnosed malnutrition, or rickets, a severe symptom of vitamin D deficiency in infants, the news program said.

The children were all allergic to normal baby formulas and advised to consume amino acid milk powder by doctors. Under the recommendation of shop assistants at Aiyingfang, parents bought a powdered drink called Beianmin, produced by Hunan Waverock Health Industry Co. Ltd. Its package reads: Deep Hydrolysis Protein & Lactose-free Formula Powder, the program reported.

The Yongxing County Government said a total of 47 cans of Beianmin had been sold by October 2019.

A customer service staffer with Hunan Waverock claimed the products met relevant standards for powered drinks and were correctly packaged and branded. They were not affiliated with the maternity store and had no idea their product was sold as baby formula, The Beijing News reported.

The company stopped manufacturing Beianmin in 2019, the report said.

The State Administration for Market Regulation said on its website Wednesday that the powered drink is not baby formula and its protein and nutrition content are far less than regular formulas. It has called for a thorough investigation into the matter.

(Shanghai Daily)