Notes on a scandal: After a series of scares over product safety in China, the country’s worst such scandal yet—a massive contamination of milk and other dairy products—has left more than 50,000 children ill. In just a few weeks, events have tested the strength of China’s regulatory structure and the patience of its consumers. Outrage grew this week after the national television station announced that dairies knew of the problem long before a public recall of the products. Sanlu Group, one of China’s most popular sellers of baby formula, delayed telling authorities for eight months. Local governments also took their time—perhaps in part to prevent a food scare from spoiling the Beijing Olympic Games.