The head of China's food safety watchdog stepped down on Monday as the number of infants sickened by tainted baby formula in the country jumped to nearly 53,000.
The resignation of Li Changjiang comes after the industrial chemical melamine was found in infant formula and other milk products from 22 of China's dairy companies -- one year after he promised to overhaul the system.
The chemical was blamed for causing kidney stones and kidney failure in babies.
International observers believe China hasn't been able to develop a strong enough regulatory framework for different food products. As a result, the number of food scares in China has increased in recent years.
Yesterday, the World Health Organization demanded China implement stricter monitoring of the dairy industry.
Prior to the crisis, China's product quality watchdog had granted the dairy at the centre of the scandal, Sanlu Group. Co, inspection-free status.
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