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Thousands of young mainland mothers have been flooding into Hong Kong searching for imported milk powder in the aftermath of the contaminated milk powder scandal.
However, this is an option that parents of sick babies say they cannot afford.
Meanwhile, in Shijiazhuang , hundreds of distraught parents queued yesterday  outside the headquarters of the Sanlu Group, the state-run dairy company at the centre of the scandal, demanding explanations and compensation.
In Hong Kong, pharmacies and supermarkets along the East Rail line connecting the city  with Shenzhen reported panic buying of overseas milk powder brands during the mainland's first Mid-Autumn Festival public holiday.
Lau Oi-kwok,  chairman  of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Pharmacy, said mainland mothers were restricted to a maximum of  three cans at each pharmacy, to ensure supplies for local mothers.
Mr Lau said pharmacies in Fanling and Sheung Shui  could expect milk powder shortages as more mainland mothers attempted to stock up on supplies in Hong Kong.
Mainland media reported that one Sha Tau Kok store had transported 1,200 cans of imported milk powder from Sheung Shui to meet huge demand. In Sha Tau Kok,  mainlanders do need a Hong Kong travel permit to enter.
Luo Min, who transports  milk powder from Hong Kong to Shenzhen, said she received 100 orders in the three days after the milk powder scandal broke, nearly three times  the usual demand.
Many parents said the Sanlu Group had caused them to lose  confidence in domestic production, including the mainland's output of overseas brands. Mr Lau said all overseas brand milk powder available in Hong Kong was made in New Zealand or the United States, rather than in the company's mainland factories.
But imported formula is out of the reach of almost all the families of children admitted to Shenzhen hospitals with kidney stones.
The parents of the eight children diagnosed with kidney stones are struggling migrant workers from Anhui , Henan , Hunan  and Sichuan .
One of the mothers, 26-year-old Lin Ying, said the family's spending on infant formula could rise from 500 yuan (HK$570) to about 1,200 yuan if they chose imported brands
'My five-month-old son was raised on Sanlu products and we all thought it was safe,' Ms Lin said.
'Although I don't trust domestic-made milk powder anymore, my salary doesn't allow me to have any other option.'



Thousands of mainland mothers flock to HK for imported formula