BEIJING, March 26: An appeals court on Thursday reaffirmed death sentences of three people for their role in contaminating milk that caused tens of thousands of babies to fall sick, making it almost certain they would be executed in one of China’s worst food safety scandals.

The Hebei Province People’s High Court’s support for the harsh sentences underscored China’s resolve in tackling its recurring food safety problems and an eagerness by the communist leadership to move beyond the embarrassing scandal.

Six children died and nearly 300,000 fell sick due to baby formula tainted with melamine, which can cause kidney stones and kidney failure.

The court in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province, upheld the death sentences of Zhang Yujun, Gao Junjie and Geng Jinping for their role in the scandal, state media said. Zhang, a cattle farmer, and Gao both had been convicted of producing and selling “protein powder” containing melamine.—AP
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