The Safety of Melamine Plates

Melamine plates are made by mixing the organic compound urea with formaldehyde, heating the mixture and pressing into a mold. Extremely durable and shatterproof once hardened, the dishes may release toxins when exposed to acidic food or high heat, such as a microwave oven.

Features

• The lightweight plates made of melamine resin, also referred to as thermoset plastic, offer stability when exposed to moderate heat. At higher temperatures, however, melamine plates can begin to decompose and release toxic chemicals.

History

• Melamine toxicity hit the international news when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalled some pet foods after reports of poisonings and deaths resulting from cats and dogs consuming melamine added to pet food as a cheap filler.

  Not long afterward, melamine turned up in infant formula, resulting in a blizzard of media coverage and a closer look at how melamine might be harmful.

Warning

• The National Toxicology Program found significant amounts of melamine and formaldehyde could leach from dinnerware, particularly when in contact with foods that are both hot and acidic.

Children's Plates

• Children's dishware often consists of melamine due to its lightweight and virtually shatterproof qualities. If parents cannot avoid melamine children's dishes, they need to exercise extreme caution when using them.

Prevention/Solution

• Melamine dishes should never be microwaved, boiled, washed in very hot water or used to serve hot or acidic foods.

Considerations

• In the United States, the FDA has not recognized a hazard from melamine dinnerware, but at least one municipality in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has made the plates illegal.

  Salah Amiri, Director of Municipality's Dubai Central Laboratory, has banned the import and sale of melamine tableware and urged other emirates do so as well, stating that the plates do not comply with UAE safety standards.