CHINA'S government yesterday announced 300 million yuan (S$64.6million) in subsidies for dairy farmers whose livelihoods have been badly hit by the tainted milk scandal.

Farmers in China's main dairy regions of Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Liaoning, Shanxi and Shandong provinces will be the main beneficiaries.

At the moment, 10,666 children who drank tainted milk remain in hospital, while another 36,144 have been allowed to go home, the Health Ministry said.

In Hong Kong, its food safety agency said yesterday it had found excessive levels of melamine in EDO Pack Almond Cacao Biscuit Sticks.

ASSOCIATED PRESS