Two Chinese went on trial Friday accused of making and selling the chemical at the center of a tainted milk scandal blamed for killing six children and sickening nearly 300,000 others.
Police said Zhang Yujun and Zhang Yanzhang illegally manufactured and sold a "protein powder" composed mainly of melamine and malt dextrin, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The powder was added to raw milk to make it appear high in protein content.
An official at the publicity office of Hebei supreme court confirmed that the trial started Friday at the Shijiazhuang Intermediate People's Court. He refused to give his name or other details.
Sanlu Group Co., the main company in the scandal, is based in Shijiazhuang. The company confirmed earlier this week that it was bankrupt.
