Melamine is rich in nitrogen, a property that is similar to protein. “Melamine-induced renal toxicity is mediated by the gut microbiota.”, Yang, Y. et al. “A worldwide food safety concern in 2008 – melamine-contaminated infant formula in China caused urinary tract stone in 290,000 children in China.”. It was said that “melamine migration was detected from all samples” that were tested. Milk, milk powder, baby food and formula, yoghurt, biscuits, sweets, chocolates, toffees, tea and coffee products, instant coffee, chicken, eggs, pet food, animal feed, fish food, raising agents, etc. Melamine food pans are great for cold applications like deli displays, buffets, salad bars, and more. Melamine, also called cyanuramide or triaminotriazine, a colourless crystalline substance belonging to the family of heterocyclic organic compounds, which are used principally as a starting material for the manufacture of synthetic resins. Non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), Bradley, E.L. et al. It has also been employed as a non-protein nitrogen, appearing in soy meal, corn gluten meal and cottonseed meal used in cattle feed. In 2008, the U.S. FDA lowered the TDI from 0.63 to 0.063 mg/kg body weight. Ultimately, many hundreds of different products were affected. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was asked by the European Commission to provide a scientific opinion related to the presence of melamine and the structural analogues (cyanuric acid, ammeline and ammelide) in food and feed. It is also used as an ecto-parasiticide in veterinary medicine. 2009. “Melamine induces human renal proximal tubular cell injury via transforming growth factor and oxidative stress.” T, Puschner, B. et al. Melamine may induce neurotoxicity [11, 12], altered TCA cycle, and gut microflora structure [13]. By March 2009, about one year after the adulteration of milk had begun in China, the melamine issue in South Africa had been fully contained. The issue of melamine presence in Chinese dairy products is considered a new and separate issue from the pet food … Because melamine is such a great insulator, it's also ideal for cold food and buffet displays. More than 53,000 infants have been diagnosed with severe traumas such as urinary tract complications and acute kidney failure. Melamine is the same chemical that was implicated in the pet food recall in 2007. Analysis of melamine in … “Effect of melamine on potassium currents in rat hippocampal CA1 neurons.”, Xie, G. et al. The Dept of Health ordered the removal from the market of any Chinese foodstuffs containing milk and related ingredients including infant formulas, sweets, toffees, chocolates, biscuits, etc., and set about monitoring all baby formulas in South Africa. Several children died of kidney failure and the number that ultimately received attention may have reached 100,000. Melamine is of increased toxicity when fed in combination with cyanuric acid leading to the development of severe renal dysfuntion [6, 7, 8]. While not legally binding, the levels allow countries to ban importation of products with excessive levels of melamine. Once again, melamine had been illegally and fraudulently added to a food product, on this occasion milk for human consumption through which it found its way into infant formulas and a wide range of products that have milk or milk powder as an ingredient. The researchers used silverware (forks, spoons, knives) and tableware (plates, bowls, tumblers, cups) that were purchased at retail. Toxicological and health aspects of melamine and cyanuric acid. Melamine has a half live of approximately 6 hours in humans and undergoes renal clearance. Its high nitrogen content makes it a cheaper protein alternative, resulting in illegal adulteration of food and feed. Unfortunately, when the milk is spray dried the melamine content is concentrated and when used as the basis of an infant formula, often a baby’s only source of food, the concentrated and continuous exposure can lead to kidney failure, kidney stones and death as experienced on a very large scale in China. Melamine may migrate from coatings, table ware and household appliances into food. The addition of melamine to foodstuffs and feed is not approved by the World Health Organisation nor by any national authority anywhere in the world. The Service is administered by SAAFoST – a  non-profit organisation for food scientists and other technical food professionals. This site uses cookies, including third-party cookies. R 1054. In 2008, 300 000 children became ill and six of them died after consuming contaminated infant formula. The TDI is not applicable in case of significant concomitant exposure to cyanuric acid or another substance increasing the risk of urinary crystal formation. The infant formula scandal in 2008 let the WHO to convene an expert meeting in 2009 [14]. Melamine is used as a monomer in the production of melamine resin. The melamine-contaminated milk incident in China was one of the most serious events considering that young children are relatively vulnerable to food contaminants. Treatment may include fluid infusion, urine alkalinisation, electrolyte and acid-base correction, removal of kidney stones, etc. (2011). Swiss inventory list of substances authorized for the use in printing inks. Melamine is not permitted in food or feed stuffs. The report subsequently published by the WHO set the lower benchmark dose (BMDL10) at 35 mg/kg body weight/day based on the development of urinary bladder stones [15]. In doing so the Food Packaging Forum addresses all its stakeholders, including business decision makers, regulators, media and communication experts, scientists and consumers. Melamine resin can be used as surface coating for paper, board and beverage cans and jar lids as well as in the production of body panels and household appliances. Melamine Pet Food Recall of 2007 On March 15, 2007, FDA learned that certain pet foods were sickening and killing cats and dogs. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opened offices in three Chinese cities in order to assess and keep abreast of the situation. The Food Packaging Forum summarizes applications, risks and regulations of the substance. (2012). However, melamine contamination is still possible in American-made foods. 1-13. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.00698-3, The FACS objective is to provide consumers with scientifically correct information on food and nutrition issues. Because of its high nitrogen content, this chemical has been illegally added to foods such as milk powder to increase the total nitrogen concentration, which is used as an indicator to estimate the protein content. Contaminants of Milk and Dairy Products: Contamination Resulting from Farm and Dairy Practices. Regulations Relating To The Maximum Levels Of Melamine In Foodstuffs Melamine itself is not used as a pesticide although it is recognized as one of the breakdown products of the pesticide cyromazin Because normal routine laboratory tests for protein do not distinguish between protein and melamine, the final results are not questioned if they happen to fall within expected values. Melamine is illegally added to food and food ingredients in order to give the impression that the protein content of the food is higher than it really is. “Assessment of melamine and cyanuric acid toxicity in cats.” J, Kim, T.H. It is not naturally occurring and is not allowed to be added to food. Melamine (1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine) is a nitrogen-rich molecule (C 3 H 6 N 6), with 40% nitrogen by number of atoms. Melamine was also associated with massive pet food recall in the USA in 2007. In the European Union where melamine is authorized as a monomer and an additive in plastic food contact materials, the TDI was subsequently also lowered to 0.2 mg/kg body weight and the specific migration limit set at 2.5 mg/kg food (Commission Regulation 1282/2011). It is also used in the manufacture of plastic dishware, bottle caps, whiteboards, coatings, adhesives and insulators. (2007). The concern over melamine adulteration spread to include a number of different types of dry protein materials in both animal and human-food sources. Further, studies have found melamine to have adverse effects on the male reproduction system at doses between 5 and 25 mg/kg bodyweight including testes, sperm morphology and increased apototic index of spermatogenic cells at the higher dose [10]. Disposition of hogs and chickens from farms identified as having received pet food scraps contaminated with melamine and melamine-related compounds and offered for slaughter. No cases of sickness or death due to the ingestion of melamine are known to have occurred in South Africa However, sampling and testing by the Dept of Health and a network of co-operating organizations continues to the present. (2013). Melamine is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans due to a lack of toxicological data, and has been found not to be genotoxic in vitro or in vivo [3, 4]. On investigation the adulteration of the food and feed melamine was traced back to China. et al. Fischer, W.J., Schilter, B., Tritscher, A.M., Stadler, R.H., 2015. R.1054. “Comparison of the migration of melamine from melamine-formaldehyde plastics (‘melaware’) into various food simulants and foods themselves.”, Hsieh, T.J. et al. Relatively small quantities of melamine yield relatively high “protein” values which can make this fraudulent activity quite profitable as long as the perpetrators can escape detection. The migration process is influenced by the temperature of the heat treatment and to some extend by the time of the heating and the acidity of the food [1, 2]. In the U.S., melamine is authorized as adhesive and component of coatings in food packaging. What are the Symptoms of Melamine Poisoning? 1. Other sources of melamine in foods: In vitro melamine has been shown to lead to renal tubular cell injury via apoptosis, inflammation and fibrosis at concentrations up to 1000 µg/mL [5]. Fortunately, the adulteration problem remained confined to China and Chinese products which facilitated safety checks, market withdrawals and international recalls. By February 2009 the number of reported contamination events had reached a very low level. 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