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The EU wants an explanation about a widening Chinese dairy scandal that has made thousands of infants ill, a senior health official said today, as global cafe giant Starbucks pulled some milk from its Chinese stores.

Fears that the scandal was much bigger than first thought appeared to be well-founded when a government quality watchdog said nearly 10 per cent of milk samples from three major dairies were found to be contaminated with potentially deadly melamine.

Thousands of panicked parents have crowded hospitals and demanded explanations from the Chinese government since officials and the Sanlu Group, China's biggest maker of infant milk powder, said last week that babies were sick with kidney stones and complications after drinking toxic milk powder.

At the latest count, 6,244 children have become ill. Four have died and 158 are suffering "acute kidney failure".

Quality officials stressed that most Chinese milk was safe, trying to shore up public trust already shaken by a litany of food scares involving eggs, pork and seafood in recent years.

Robert Madelin, director-general for health and consumer protection at the European Commission, said the EU did not import Chinese infant milk powder, and there had been no reports of health problems in the bloc from other Chinese dairy products.

But with foreign consumers watching China again grapple with toxic food and claims of delays and cover-ups, Madelin told reporters in Beijing he expected an account of what went wrong.

"We are trying to establish the facts. We are discussing all aspects of this crisis bilaterally with our colleagues in China," Mr Madelin said.