The brothers have been running a private milk collecting station since May 2004 and their milk has been rejected by Sanlu previously. They face charges of producing and selling toxic and hazardous food.
The brothers have been accused of using Melamine to cheat the testing laboratories by showing higher levels of protein in milk. Melamine has the property of raising protein levels although it is highly toxic.
This is the first arrest to be made in the case, which has resulted in countrywide inspections of all milk powder producing companies and distribution outlets. According to the ministry, most of the cases occurred in Hebei, Jiangsu and Gansu provinces.
The number of infants hospitalised from the Fonterra/Sanlu milk contamination has skyrocketed to 1253 with two deaths due to kidney stones. More than 50 of 340 receiving hospital treatment are in critical condition, Xinhua news agency reports citing the Chinese Ministry of Health.
The remaining 913 diagnosed with light symptoms are either receiving treatment outside hospital or have been cured. Doctors are assuring that there would be no permanent damage to the children's kidney functions if they received timely and proper treatment.
