- 54,000 over sought for medical treatment.
- 13,000 hospitalized.
- 3 deaths
Recently parents all over the world shocked by the news of melamine-contaminated powdered infant formula in China.
This is updated news from WHO (World Health Organization) website.
29 September 2008 – More than 54,000 infants and young children have sought medical treatment in relation to the melamine-contaminated dairy products in China, causing kidney stone. Three deaths among infants have been confirmed, more than 13,000 infants are in hospital. Kidney stones in infants are normally very rare.
The World Health Organization has published “Melamine and Cyanuric acid: Toxicity, Preliminary Risk Assessment and Guidance on Levels in Food”. This preliminary guidance was developed to assist national authorities in the decision-making process on deciding possible health concern of melamine levels in food.
This preliminary guidance is proposed as a first pragmatic approach until more data become available which would allow a more detailed assessment.
For quick info about melamine, here are Q&A also taken from WHO website.
Q1. What is melamine?
A1. Melamine is an organic base chemical most commonly found in the form of white crystals rich in nitrogen
Q2. What is melamine generally used for?
A2. Melamine is widely used in plastics, adhesives, countertops, dishware, whiteboards and fertilizers.
Q3. Why was melamine added into milk and powdered infant formula
A3. In China, where adulteration has occurred, water has been added to raw milk to add to its volume. As a result of this dilution the milk will have a lower protein concentration. Companies using the milk for further production (e.g. of powdered infant formula) would normally check the protein level through a test measuring nitrogen content. Therefore the addition of melamine – because of its rich nitrogen content – could increase the level of nitrogen, which again masquerade as falsely high protein levels as the standard protein test only measures nitrogen content. This means that the adulterated milk would have an artificially high nitrogen level, which would be interpreted erroneously as a ‘normal’ or ‘high’ protein level.
Addition of melamine into food is not approved by the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius (food standard commission), or by any national authorities.
Q4. Has melamine been found in other food products?
A4. In 2007, melamine was found in pet feed manufactured in China and exported to the United States which caused the death of a large number of dogs and cats due to kidney failure.
In the present event, melamine contamination has been found in a number of different brands of powdered infant formula, in one brand of a frozen yogurt dessert and in one brand of canned coffee drink. All these products were most probably manufactured using ingredients made from melamine contaminated milk.
Q5. What are the health effects of melamine consumptions in humans?
A5. While there are no direct human studies on the effect of melamine on humans, extrapolation from animal studies can be used to estimate adverse health effects. When combined with another chemical (e.g. cyanuric acid which is also present in melamine powder) melamine can form crystals which can give rise to kidney stones.
These small crystals can also block the small tubes in the kidney potentially stopping the production of urine, kidney failure and in some cases death. Melamine has also been shown to have carcinogenic effects in animals.
Q6. What are the symptoms and signs of melamine poisoning?
A6. Irritability, blood in urine, little or no urine, signs of kidney infection, high blood pressure
Q7. What is the cure for kidney failure?
A7. Patients may receive various types of treatment, depending on the severity of kidney failure. Treatment may include infusion of fluids and urine alkalinisation, administration of sodium bicarbonate and insulin, blood and peritoneal dialysis, or surgical removal of kidney stones.
Luckily I’m not consume any infant formula from China. I’m using Enfagrow A+ from Mead Johnson, which they confirm no use of sources from China.
Mead Johnson Nutritionals Responds to China Manufacturer’s Recall
EVANSVILLE, Ind., September 16, 2008 — Mead Johnson shares the concerns of parents around the world caused by the recent contamination of infant formula in China. Our thoughts are with all the families who have been affected by this situation.
Mead Johnson can assure our customers that the ingredients we use in our products have not been contaminated with melamine.
To date, products contaminated with melamine have been brands of infant formula manufactured exclusively by Chinese companies. These formulas are not Mead Johnson brands. We do not use dairy or protein-containing raw ingredients that are imported from China at any of our manufacturing sites. Melamine is not present in any of our formulas or ingredients.
Mead Johnson produces millions of cans of infant formula each year using the highest quality standards; meeting or exceeding those standards established by the governing regulatory agencies in each country in which we do business. Our products are subjected to numerous quality control checks during and after production to ensure our product quality and safety.
CONTACT:
Gail Wood
Mead Johnson Nutritionals
(812) 429-5703
gail.wood@bms.com
Ok… take care what you eat and drink!
Tags: infant formula, melamine