Sep 11 2008

Eeks! Melamine in Chinese infant formula

I can hardly believe it but USA Today reports that Chinese infant formula has been found to be contaminated with melamine, the very same toxic ingredient that caused the pet food recalls of 2007.  Melamine-laced pet foods killed cats and dogs.  Who knows what it might do in infant formula.  Melamine is high in nitrogen.  Tests for protein just test for nitrogen and don’t care where it comes from.  Melamine, which is cheap, makes pet foods and infant formulas look like they have a lot of protein, which is expensive.   That would be bad enough but melamine and one of its by-products, cyanuric acid, form crystals that block kidney function.  The fraudulent addition of melamine to pet food is precisely the subject of my book, Pet Food Politics.  It’s subtitle is The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine.  Now you know why. 

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That is Definitely not COOL. If you think that it is important to know where your food comes from, especially with events occurring like this please click the link below and send a quick comment.
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This is the current docket that is up for public comment here:
“Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling of Beef, Pork, Lamb, Chicken, Goat Meat, Perishable Agricultural Commodities, Peanuts, Pecans, Ginseng, and Macadamia Nuts”
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocumentDetail&o=09000064806a5eaf
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Though this docket doesn’t mention infant formulas, it includes many foods people commonly eat. I believe more support for this type of labeling will be one step in ensuring our food is safe. I’m not sure if mentioning a suggestion to use COOL for infant and toddler foods,beverages, and formulas would be helpful in the above link, but I did.

the Country Of Origin Labeling for the foods listed in my last comment here is open for public comment–but the deadline is 9/30/08!

[...] Eeks! Melamine in Chinese infant formula 14 hours ago [...]

[...] Eeks! Melamine in Chinese infant formula 17 hours ago [...]

[...] one baby has died and another 50 have been hospitalized for kidney stones. Marion Nestle, who is as freaked out as us but knows a lot about melamine, is with the FDA on this one, encouraging folks to read labels and [...]

  • Sheila
  • September 12, 2008
  • 8:19 pm

And the Chinese government is doing what to stop this and regulate quality?? Obviously not enough, given the amount of time passed since the pet food melamine tragedy.

Does all this mean thousands of Chinese children are dieing because of this? perhaps we should be told>

Colin

  • Nancy
  • September 16, 2008
  • 12:54 pm

I lost 2 pets from contaminated pet food, high quality, small US co., but protein concentrate was sourced by a US distributor who obtained it from China. The pet company was even unaware of the connection. Now it milk products! I drink high protein shakes, which contain both milk and soy concentrates, and who knows. We’re talking about foods, but many meds, including ingredients for popular multivits come from China. It’s frightening.

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