Chinese Milk Producer Mengniu’s Website Is Hacked After Toxin Discovered

The website for China Mengniu Dairy Co. (2319), the nation’s largest milk producer, was hacked overnight after it said moldy feed given to cows led to excessive levels of a toxin in its milk.

The title of mengniu.com.cn was changed to “Hacked By:Drift,” and a message was posted saying “Mengniu once made the Chinese people strong and proud, but now it’s doing harm to its own people.” The website was taken over as early as 11:26 p.m. Beijing time yesterday and restored after midnight local time.

China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine found excessive levels of flavacin M1 in the batch of milk products produced by China Mengniu during a random inspection, according to test results released on the regulator’s website Dec. 24. China Mengniu said moldy feed given to cows led to excessive levels of a toxin in its milk.

Mengniu declined 24 percent to HK$20 at the close in Hong Kong yesterday, the most since September 2008.

-- Editors: Marie-France Han, Brendan Walsh

To contact the reporter on this story: Jim Jia in New York at jjia1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Charlotte Li at cli159@bloomberg.net