Mengniu was among those named for having powdered milk samples which tested positive for melamine. The company recalled tainted powdered milks and apologised to the public. Trading in Mengniu shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was suspended on 17 September. Shares in other dairy companies fell strongly the next day. On discovery that their liquid milk was also contaminated, Mengniu was stripped of its status as 'Chinese national brands'. "This is not a situation of somebody innocently cheating just to try to make a little more money," said John Eldred, managing partner of law firm Keller and Heckman LLP in Shanghai. "They are doing it with an eye toward knowing they are cheating and knowing they are risking the health of the people who are using their products." The Washington-based firm specializes in food and drug regulation.