Tian Wenhua, former president of Sanlu Group, a leading dairy firm in Hebei province before it was found to have sold milk tainted with the toxic chemical melamine in 2008, has had her prison term reduced, Chongqing Youth News reported on Thursday.

Tian was sentenced to life imprisonment for her role in the case that made hundreds of thousands of infants in China ill. She has been serving her sentence at a women's prison in Hebei province.

The report said Tian has enjoyed privileges in prison and last year her sentence was reduced from life to 18 years.

Yang Yufen, deputy director of the prison, was quoted in the report as saying she was not qualified to answer inquiries.

Yang Xusheng, Tian's attorney in the case, told Chongqing Youth News that few people knew Tian's sentence had been cut.