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What are the Bad Effects of China Products With Melamine?

Melamine is a white odorless crystallized powder which is largely used in countertops. The substance is made of nitrogen and carbon. In the Untied States, the Food and Drug Administration has not approved melamine in foods. However, melamine has been used in some foods to boost protein content.

  1. Contamination

    • In China, contamination of foods has occurred because some companies, such as infant formula manufacturers, add melamine to increase protein levels in their food products. Aside from baby food formulas, melamine has been discovered in wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate, in one brand of canned coffee and in one brand of a frozen yogurt dessert exported from China.

    Symptoms

    • According to the World Health Organization, in 2007, infants who ingested the tainted baby food formula experienced unexplained crying (especially when urinating), macroscopic or microscopic haematuria, high blood pressure, edema, acute obstructive renal fatigue and oliguria or anuria, and passing stones when urinating. General symptoms include blood in urine, irritability, little or no urine, high blood pressure, and signs of kidney infection. In dogs and cats, kidney disease, kidney failure and death occurred.

    Effects on Imported Products from China

    • According to Consumer Affairs (November 2008), the Food and Drug Administration will detain scores of imported products from China due to melamine contamination.

    Contaminated Food Recalls

    • In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration's discovery of contaminated dog and cat food exported from China triggered the biggest pet food recall in the history of the United States.

    Imported Products Control

    • According to the World Health Organization, the Food and Drug Administration is holding all imported foods that contain products listed on the import alert list unless importers provide a third-party laboratory analysis that verifies the products do not contain maelamine or cyanuric acid, laboratory analysis which verifies the products do not contain melamine or cyanuric acid, and documentation supplied in English that proves no milk or milk-derived ingredients are in the product.

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