About 5,000 ill in Japan tainted milk scare

About 80 people have been taken to hospital after drinking the milk packaged in paper cartons, they added.

Osaka and National health inspection authorities searched asnow brand factory in osaka where the milk was packaged, but could not nail down the cause of the outbreak.

8220;We could not find the possible contaminant,8221; a health official said at a press conference.

Inspections will continue to probe the factory and suspect the contaminant to be a staphyloccus bacteria, he said.

Snow Brand said the packs of milk were made between June 23-28. The company halted milk production at the plant from Thursday.