BEIJING – More than 10,000 Chinese infants and children are still hospitalized after drinking toxic milk formulation, China said on Thursday, but suggested foreign consumers to take a “scientific” approach towards the safety profile of its products.

The country is still quarreling with tainted milk scandal that has taken four lives, made thousands ill and affected products globally.

“Every country has to ensure the food safety and the health of its domestic consumers,” foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular briefing.

“But we also need to find an objective, scientific approach to handle and analyze this problem,” he said, adding that foreign customers would recover their confidence in Chinese food exports as control measures are strengthened.Reports from local media across the country gathered by Reuters suggest that still, 94,000 children had been affected with tainted milk. The last update was on September 21, when it reported that 12,892 children were being treated. While the number of children in hospital is declining, new cases are still cropping up.

The health ministry said that on Wednesday alone, 539 children were brought to emergencies after drinking melamine-laced milk, while 2,067 others discharged after being treated.

Abroad, products pulled because of melamine tainting or worries about it range from candies and biscuits to milk tea.

Beijing is willing to work in correlation with the world on food safety matters, Qin said, after singling out Brazil, as South American nation had limited imports of Chinese dairy products.

“Food safety is a problem and also a challenge to the … world. China is willing to have relevant cooperation with other countries,” he added.