Sep 29, 2008
Melamine Contaminated Milk
A brief summary and update to the Sciencebase original posts on Melamine in Milk and Melamine Scandal Widens.
Dairy farmers have been feeling the squeeze for years, particularly in parts of the world where technological advancement has been slow in coming and so their profit margins on their milk output have not been lifted by improved efficiency. In order to boost profits milk has been diluted. However, this brings with it the problem of falling quality - dilute with water and measurable concentrations of milk proteins, fats, and sugars fall. Dilution by up to 30% has not been uncommon, which is where melamine (as I’ve mentioned) comes in. Melamine is a small organic molecule with a high nitrogen content that can easily fool the quality control equipment into thinking that nitrogen (from protein) is present at normal levels and so the milk is passed as good.
Unfortunately, it is possible that melamine accumulates
in
the body
and causes toxicity problemsmelamine accumulates in the body and causes toxicity problems - basically damaging the kidneys and forming stones (solid deposits within the kidneys or bladder). Infants fed regularly with milk containing melamine will be particularly susceptible to these effects. As we have seen tens of thousands have been affected and several have died in China. Why this problem is not more widespread, given the rather large number of infants potentially having been drinking contaminated formula-milk for months is unclear.
Hsieh Teh-sheng, director of the Taiwan Urological Association and chief of Cathay General Hospital’s Department of Urology told the Taipei Times, that while there is no direct toxicity information on melamine’s health effects on people, the level of melamine found in the milk products is “not particularly high”. He says that kidney stones or other effects blamed on the melamine “could just as easily be caused by other harmful chemicals,” which is a point I discussed in the original post.
However, cyanuric acid is often present in melamine samples and the two can react together to form crystals, which can form stones. The current scandal could, whatever the final outcome, provide researchers with useful data on the effects of chronic exposure to melamine and its toxicity to the kidneys and bladder.
Sources in China have now said that Sanlu, which is at the heart of the controversy, was aware that its products were contaminated with melamine as long ago as December 2007. Fonterra, the New Zealand dairy company and 43% stakeholder in Sanlu claims to have approached the Chinese authorities as soon as it heard about the problem but was held back from going public because of the imminent Beijing Olympic Games. One can imagine there were additional pressures that prevented Fonterra from pushing for a solution. But, it cannot blame Chinese regulations for it failing to warn consumers as soon as it knew about the contamination.
Products across the globe containing milk imported from China seem to have been affected and authorities from Australasia and Asia to Europe and the US are withdrawing formula milk, coffee and tea drinks, candies, soup, cheese powder, biscuits, ready-made desserts, and chocolate. however, there are calls from some commentators that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should be more forthright on its recommendations for consumers concerned with the melamine in milk scandal.
For those thinking of testing the products in their store cupboard, there’s a Craigslist item for sale here. It’s described as a “Rapid Melamine test kit—AgraQuant Melamine ELISA test kit”.
But, before you grab your credit card, think carefully whether you’d like to make ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay) your friend. It’s a tricky test and probably not one you could rattle off in an afternoon with at least some biomedical background. Also, there’d be no point in testing your Ikea furniture for melamine, the “Melamine” they use is a polymer resin (a plastic, in other words) made from the small organic molecule melamine and formaldehyde, and no there’s no need to worry about using melamine cooking utensils or eating off a melamine-coated kitchen table.
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October 9th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
milk or breastfeeding for chinese infants????????????
October 4th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
RE: Melamine Dishes & Utensils
Back last year some countries (Kuwait in the link below) were banning Melamine utensils/dishes due to cheap glazing wearing off and allegedly increasing exposure to the toxins.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\09\06\story_6-9-2007_pg7_34
“A large number of organic compounds are toxic and melamine is also considered toxic, the official said. A layer of glazing powder is used to prevent contact with the human body but with use the utensils lose this protective layer and thus can be harmful to humans, the official added. ”
“Dr Bilal of Services Hospital, said that the number of patients complaining of intestine, stomach and throat problems is on the rise. He said that modern research has shown melamine and formaldehyde are responsible for such diseases. The government should ban this industry or regulate the industry to ensure higher quality products.”
“Rana Rizwan, a melamine utensil factory owner, said melamine costs Rs 115 per kg and so by mixing starch (kuluf), which costs Rs 35 per kg, the production costs of utensils is lowered. The producers also apply a lower quantity of glazing to the utensils to reduce costs, he added. Both these result in lower quality of the product and the glazing soon wears off, he added. “
October 3rd, 2008 at 6:35 pm
@paul said on September 30
“One source I read says the farmers add urea”
I can think of a very cheap and widely available source of urea…
October 3rd, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Thanks for a great insight into the current melamine issue. One thing I was thinking when reading is that since approx 80%of Chinese are lactose intolerant (quoting Wikipedia), they may be using soy based formula instead of milk based and that could account for the relatively low numbers.
As a mom to 2 kids adopted from China and whose family (of 5) is currently now living in China, this is an issue that is very close to my heart. I appreciate your insight and will be checking back for updates.
Thanks.
October 2nd, 2008 at 7:58 am
Regarding this Melamine, a world wide awareness should be done because to increase the nitrogen content & fool the tests for protein level in Milk formula the Melamine is added by producers. Same application is possible for Animal feed also. Eg. Fishmeal & soymeal are added to poultry feed and certain crude protein level is maintained in poultry-Broiler chicken feed at different ages. Usually this fishmeal raw material should consist of about 65% crude protein and Soyameal should consist of about 48% crude protein, so the suppliers or producers of this fishmeal & soyameal may add melamine to increase or fool the test for protein level. There is a possibility for that this Melamine get accumulate in chicken muscles which consume the above feed and reach human body finally.
so this is very important to find ways to get rid of this contamination.
U L Abdul Raheem
KUWAIT
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:28 am
AS long as we continue to import food products from a country sworn to destroy US then we are getting just what we deserve. I’m sorry but, if all that is important is the profits realized by the companies and not the safety of the population in general then it’s too bad. If we ever go to war with China we will have to do it barefoot. All the shoe manufacturers have gone there also. All your computer boards are made there. They don’t need spys. Just wait we’ll give it to them to build for us.
October 1st, 2008 at 9:52 am
UPDATE: 22 arrested in China over melamine contamination.
Cookies in Netherlands found to be contaminated.
Milk testing sadly lacking
October 1st, 2008 at 2:12 am
I have linked to your article from my blog after being asked a question from a reader and wanted to let you know. Thank you for a fine article.
September 30th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Its solubility is 3 grams per litre at 20 Celsius. Compare that to benzene, which is 0.8 g/l @ 25 Celsius and sucrose (sugar) which is 2115 at 20 Celsius.
September 30th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
I am still puzzled at how the raw milk suppliers add melamine into their diluted milk if melamine is not very soluable in water? One source I read says the farmers add urea and then when milk is turned to powder in high heat, the urea turns into melamine. But then when you add hot water and feed it to an infant, the melamine can still dissolve? Or is it only a small enough amount that it dissolves?