When the news on melamine contamination of baby formula broke this year, experts were actually at loss as to what to do because there were health-based guidance on melamine at that time. You see, melamine was initially thought to be relatively harmless, an industrial chemical of low toxicity.

A search in the Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) , for example, gave me this result:”melamine itself does not seem to be important industrial hazard except if decomposed by heat.” In addition, thousands of people are exposed to melamine in the work place with no reported permanent health problems of toxicity. The most serious health effects observed were “allergic and irritative dermatitis“.

So why had melamine suddenly become toxic to cause illness in more than 50,000 babies? It seems that a big factor in its toxicity is in combination with another chemical called cyanuric acid, which is a by-product of water disinfection and may thus be present in tap and swimming pool water. A study conducted by the US FDA revealed that “although melamine and cyanuric acid appeared to have low toxicity when administered separately, they induced extensive renal crystal formation when administered together. The subsequent renal failure may be similar to acute uric acid nephropathy in humans, in which crystal spherulites obstruct renal tubules.”

Mind you, this doesn’t exonerate the perpetrators at all. This is not the first time that melamine contamination was observed to cause health problems. In 2004 and 2007, many house pets suffered from renal failure which was eventually linked to melamine in pet food. It is therefore quite known that melamine is not as harmless as originally thought to be. Adding melamine to milk formula misleadingly increases its protein content and is a deliberate and irresponsible act that should be punished severely. Another thing to consider when deciding if you will breastfeed.

Earlier this month, experts at a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting have finally come up with guidance on melamine. They have finally established “a tolerable daily intake (TDI) for melamine.” Melamine shouldn’t be in food at all but the chemical is so ubiquitous that contamination is sometimes unavoidable. Without our being aware of it, we are exposed to minute amounts of melamine every day, which are present in fabrics, formica counter tops, and kitchen melaware.

Here are the experts’ recommendations:

TDI for melamine is at 0.2 mg/kg body weight. This means that a person weighing 50 kg can tolerate 10 mg melamine per day. This TDI, however, applies to melamine alone and not in combination with cyanuric acid. A different TDI for the combination needs to be set as soon as the enough data is available.

I was not too surprised when I read that trace amounts of melamine have been found in infant formulas in the USA. Recently, large amounts of the industrial chemical were found in Chinese infant formula products after thousands of infants became very ill after drinking the formula. Several infants actually died.

In the case of the formula in the United States, what surprised me was that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused to identify the formulas that contained the chemical and insisted that trace amounts of the chemical were insignificant and that it would be a “dangerous overreaction” for parents to stop feeding the formula to their children. The FDA further claims that the contamination occurred during the product processing, and was not intentionally added to the product.

WHAT? Does it really make a difference how it got there?

According to The Associated Press, which gathered information un the Freedom of Information Act, the FDA detected melamine in a sample of one “popular” formula and the presence of cyanuric acid in another formula. Cyanuric acid is similar to meaamine.

The chemical was found according to the report in the formulas produced by three firms–Abbott Laboratories, Nestle and Mead Johnson. These companies produce about 90% of infant formula in the United States.

Although no exposure level has been established by the FDA, officials insist that trace levels of the chemical are safe. Some experts claim that scientific evidence shows that low levels of melamine are always present in certain foods and that trace amounts of the chemical pose no health risk and shouldn’t cause alarm. Other experts insist that since no safe exposure level has been established, no amount of the chemical should be tolerated. These experts argue that the FDA should begin recalling the infant formula which contain the trace amounts of melamine, and insist upon a zero tolerance policy for melamine levels in infant formula.

What do you think? Do these finding concern you? Do you think that trace amounts of the chemical in formula should pose no great health risk to infants?

A candy recall has been announced just in time for Halloween.

Sherwood Brands Pirate?s Gold Milk Chocolate Coins contain melamine, the ingredient that has caused numerous infant illnesses and deaths in China. Melamine is a chemical compound is used in a number of industrial products and is harmful if ingested.

The candies have been sold at Costco, and other bulk food and dollar stores. The affected candies are sold in bags with 240 pieces of chocolate in the bag. The product was sold widely across Canada, but supposedly, no tainted candy has reached other countries.

There have been no illnesses reported at this time, and the Canadian government feels that the risk of illness is very low. Despite this, it has issued the recall.

Last week, Chinese officials issued a statement that the issue of melamine-food products is resolved. End of the story.

Well, not quite. As a fellow BOL blogger wrote a few days ago, more and more tainted products have come to light.

The US FDA must have their hands full with the problem. Just a few days ago, the regulatory body issued a health advisory warning against the Taiwanese-made Mr Brown coffee and milk tea.

Thanks to international cooperation, health officials in other countries are sharing information to warn the international community of tainted products they detect. The New Zealand Food Safety Authority, for example, reported a positive melamine test for White Rabbit Creamy Candies imported from China.

In addition, the FDA is also tightening the labelling of imported food products. It is proposed that products refused or rejected entry in a US port be labeled clearly as such. When products are refused entry to the US, they should normally be destroyed.

Some food importers try the so-called “port shopping” strategy of importing – trying to get through another port with less stringent checks. By clearly labelling refused products on official documents as well as on the shipping container, port shopping is avoided. Furthermore, other countries will also then be privy to the import status of the product and can carefully conduct checks of their own.

The problem of melamine-tainted products will cost Chinese companies and multinationals with Chinese subsidiaries millions of dollars. Under the FDA proposal,

“all owners or consignees of refused food would be required to affix a label to the shipping container that reads: “UNITED STATES: REFUSED ENTRY” in clear, conspicuous, print.

Let’s hopethat this proposed labelling will deter unscrupulous import companies from dumping tainted products in ports and countries with less vigilant or dishonest food safety. authorities.

A couple of weeks ago it became sadly obvious that consuming something made in China is dangerous. Thousands of babies suffered kidney stones or worse after drinking formula tainted with melamine, an industrial chemical. Worse, it is suspected that the melamine was added intentionally in order to bolster the protein levels.

Until now, you might have said, ‘Wow, that’s sad,’ but not worried about it because your child is not drinking Chinese formula. But your older children’and yourself’could still be consuming melamine-tainted milk products.

In Indonesia, two-thirds of Chinese milk products on store shelves tested positive for the chemical, including cookies, candy, milk tablets, and some drinks. Now, British candy maker Cadbury is recalling 11 products due to suspicion they may include melamine. They are distributed in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia. But I wouldn’t breath a sigh of relief just yet.

In tests conducted in several countries, melamine has been found in popular Chinese-manufactured products including Oreo cookies, M&M candies, Snickers candy bars. So now US manufacturers are in on the action. ‘They’ say they are safe. But who are they and why should I believe their claims?

It’s hard for me to fathom that Western corporations still make money by manufacturing goods in China. After millions of dollars lost in recalls, I’d think they’d learn their lesson. Because even though this particular scandal will be cleared up, I still wonder what’s next. Lead paint on toys, industrial chemicals in milk? will we find out there’s something woven into the clothes we wear? I’m paranoid, but I don’t think it’s unfounded.

I’m going to check my calcium supplement right now?