Leather Milk

"Leather milk" is milk adulterated by leather protein powder, a highly poisonous compound made from hydrolyzed leather scraps and or animal hair that can be life-threatening if accumulated inside the body. This poisonous chemical, along with melamine, which artificially raises the protein content of milk, are used by crooked manufacturers, who adulterate dairy products despite the country’s strict food security laws and regulations.

In February, 2011, reports of "leather milk" reaching the stores shocked the country. To calm the jittery public, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) issued a statement, saying the quality of fresh milk on the Chinese market was "generally safe" and that no leather hydrolyzed protein or other prohibited materials had been detected in recent tests. The MOA based its conclusions on 7,406 spot checks on fresh milk samples, 4,778 spot checks on milk stations and 2,628 checks on transportation vehicles carried out during 2010.

The "leather milk" rumor followed the 2008 melamine scandal, in which six infants died and about 300,000 children were sickened after drinking tainted milk across the country.