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"This is for the sake of consumer safety," Deputy Public Health Minister Wicharn Meenchainant said yesterday.

Melamine mixed in milk products during processing has claimed infant lives in China.

"If the lab tests confirm that these products are not contaminat¬ed by melamine, their sales can resume," Wicharn said.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deputy secretary general Manit Arunakul said giant retailers like Tesco Lotus, Carrefour and Tops Supermarket had agreed to cooperate fully with the temporary ban.

These retailers are removing Chinese milk products from shelves. The process should be completed by 9am today.

The lab test will take about one week.

"If there is no contamination, we will issue certification stating so," Manit added.

In Songkhla's Hat Yai district, officials also collected samples from about 3,000 shops and stalls in major markets for chemical analysis by the FDA.

The sale of the products is also banned pending the analysis.

Only sweets containing milk will be subjected to testing.

Noppon Prakijwattanakool, head of a group of merchants in the SantisukKimyong Market, said the melamine scandal did not hurt sell¬ers in the markets much.