THE ban on the sale of all Chinese milk products has been lifted by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) yesterday, except for six products which will remain off the shelves.

The six biscuit items (see below) have been found to be contaminated with melamine at the end of the AVA's second and final round of tests. They will be destroyed, just like the 16 other China-made products previously found to contain melamine.

Yesterday, the AVA announced the end of the ban on the sales of Chinese dairy products, which had been in effect since Sept 19 because of the melamine scare.

AVA chief executive Chua Sin Bin shared the lesson learnt: "We have to be on the lookout for the unexpected."

The all-clear given by the AVA is good news for importers and retailers. They can now sell their remaining stocks to the public. About 1,000 tonnes of the remaining 327 types of products were released, said the AVA.

But retailers my paper spoke to said they do not know exactly when the products would hit their shelves. Supermarkets Cold Storage and NTUC FairPrice said it depends on how fast the suppliers are able to provide the goods.

However, as the import ban on Chinese milk products has not been lifted, retailers cannot stock their shelves with fresh goods yet.

The AVA did not say when the import ban would be lifted. The outcome partly depends on an "audit" of China's milk-production system, said Dr Chua.

Next month, the AVA will despatch a team to inspect milk-production areas in Inner Mongolia, Tianjin and Beijing - places which used to export substantially to Singapore before the import ban.

When the import ban is lifted, local importers will have to present melamine-free certification from China's food-safety authorities.

The AVA will continue to run tests on freshly-imported stocks from China until confidence is restored.

Retailers say they are confident that Singaporeans will resume buying the products. At the same time, they remain cautious.

Mr Lim Hock Chee, Sheng Siong Supermarket managing director, said: "We will check importers' certificates before taking the products. Melamine will not be found in our stores a second time."

6 MORE TAINTED ITEMS FOUND

• Baby Looney Tunes Cream Filled Biscuits Assorted Family Pack
• C & OK Vigour 888 Egg & Milk
• Khong Guan Mini Burger Biscuit Bulk Pack
• Liluo Fruit P.D. Almond Flavor
• Potter Potato Chips Pizza
• Tom & Jerry Cheese Balls

Updated no. of affected China milk products: 22

Others: 17 other biscuit products from Malaysia. Fresh batches are likely to go on sale by next week after AVA's inspection of Malaysian food plants.