Question

what is melanine (not the plastic) what does it have to do with Chinese scandls involing baby formula or pet food?

Answer 1

Melamine or 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-triazine (C3H6N6) is a nitrogen-rich compound which has been used for producing plastics, adhesives, laminates, paints, permanent-press fabrics, flame retardants, textile finishes, tarnish inhibitors, paper coatings and fertilizer mixtures. Melamine is added into milk to increase the protein count at less cost.

Milk is the best sources for basic nutrients including protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals required by both infants and adults. Unfortunately milk adulteration is a serious issue through the world. Some reasons for milk fraud may include the big gap between demand and supply, perishable nature of milk, low purchasing capability of customer and lack of suitable test method for detection of milk frauds. Some examples of adulteration of milk include addition of water, whey, vegetable oil and protein and milk from different species, which are known as economically motivated adulteration . These milk frauds do not pose any severe health risk. However, some adulterants showed serious adverse effect on human health such as adding urea, formalin, detergents, alkaline and acidic compounds, hydrogen peroxide and melamine.

Milk and infant formula adulterated with melamine has been of high concern since September 2008, when in China, six children died due to the presence of melamine in their food. The 2008 Chinese milk scandal was a significant food safety incident in China. The scandal involved milk and infant formula along with other food materials and components being adulterated with melamine. Of an estimated 300,000 victims in China ,six babies died from kidney stones and other kidney damage and an estimated 54,000 babies were hospitalized.

Trace levels of melamine may be detected into the food because of its presence in the environment or indirectly through animal feeds that have been treated with products containing melamine, such as fertilizers or pesticide. Moreover, melamine is added into milk, wheat gluten and other protein sources to increase the protein count falsely at less cost. The protein level of milk is usually determined through measuring the nitrogen content by standard test methods such as the Kjeldahl and the Duma’s. The farmers and milk producer may dilute the milk with water and still meet the standard level of protein content by adding melamine as fake protein. Therefore, infants and children are affected the most because of their milk dependence for nutrition, compounded by immaturity of their organs which renders them vulnerable.

After the first report about melamine in infant formula products in China, international food regulatory authorities confirmed that other foods containing milk such as, milk and whey powder, casein, milk-based candies, instant powdered coffee products, biscuits, chocolates, milk-based drinks and cakes could be contaminated with melamine . In a research conducted in China, 87 out of 111 infant formula were contaminated with melamine ranged from <0.05 to 4700mg/kg (Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, unpublished data, 2008). Fifty-one of the 87 positive samples had a concentration higher than 1000mg/kg.

Melamine transmission to milk

Some of the ways in which melamine can find its way into milk and dairy products are as follows:

A. Adulteration to Milk product to “fake” protein.

B. Use of the pesticide cyromazine on crops (Cyromazine is metabolized into melamine in the animal’s body and, therefore, could be present as contaminant in their milk and tissue).

C. Use of nitrogenous fertilizers, if containing melamine as a source of nitrogen.

D. Consumption of cyromazine or melamine contaminated crops.

E. Transfer of melamine from plastics used in milk packaging materials .When the cows graze melamine fertilized pasture, melamine will transfer to their milk and tissue. Melamine transfer from grass to milk is as soon as 8 hours with the efficiency of 3% for the low and 2.1% for the high melamine concentration pasture .It has been reported that the amount of melamine in dairy products exhibited concentrations in the following increasing order: Milk<yoghurt<coffee mate<cheese<infant formula .