The bakers would consider a return to milk powder once the present crisis was over, the Taipei County Bakeries Association told the Chinese-language Liberty Times.

Not all bakers welcomed the association’s decision, saying switching entirely to Taiwanese milk would drive up their costs by at least 20 percent, while business was already down 50 percent because of the melamine scare.

China reported that four children had died and more than 52,000 had been sickened by products tainted with melamine, a protein-rich chemical used in the manufacturing of plastics. Dairy producers added the chemical to fool protein tests.

Individual bakers said they had already stopped using Chinese dairy products, instead using milk powder from safe countries like New Zealand, and advertising so to consumers.

Dropping milk powder entirely will not only raise the cost of baking, but also influence the taste and texture, especially of sweet pastries, bakers said.

Bakers in Taipei City complained about the city government’s cavalier attitude to naming names, the Liberty Times reported. Up to 14 bakeries had been named as users of milk powder from China’s Sanlu Group, but after tests, none of the bakeries were revealed to have used contaminated products. The businesses were threatening to sue for government compensation over the damage to their reputations.

The melamine scare spread to large supermarkets Tuesday, as reports surfaced that RT-Mart had bought 6,100 kilograms of tainted Chinese milk powder from Taiwei, a company named as an importer of Sanlu product.

The supermarket said it had bought a different brand, and subsequent tests showed that its products did not contain melamine.

Inspectors visited both Taiwei and RT-Mart, and concluded the two companies’ documents showed inconsistencies. Health officials are expected to announce test results on Wednesday.