The LA Times reports that the black market in China contributed to the milk scandal that rocked the country.

From the LA Times:

Milk contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine is blamed for killing four babies and sickening 54,000 others with kidney stones and other illnesses. The food safety crisis, China’s worst in decades, has also led to numerous arrests, an international recall of Chinese products containing milk and at least one lawsuit against a milk company.

Experts point to a growing black market for powdered melamine among food makers in China and elsewhere. There are numerous parties involved in moving milk from the cow to the consumer, including collection stations, middle men and manufacturers. The adulteration, analysts say, could come anywhere in the process.