Secretary for Food & Health Dr York Chow says there is no need to lower the permissible level of melamine in food, adding Hong Kong has adopted a much more stringent standard than many other countries.

Speaking to reporters this morning, Dr Chow said the Government analysed international standards given by the European Union and the US before it set the limit.

"I think that now our law can protect our children as well as all our citizens in both the infant formulae as well as other food. This is a very satisfactory law as far as we are concerned."

The Centre for Health Protection today received no new reports of renal problems related to the consumption of melamine-tainted milk products. The 18 designated clinics provided initial assessment to 4,160 patients up to 5pm, while the nine assessment centres attended to 578 patients.