Brief History of Melamine

[Guinan]

Melamine, the cheap compound used to bulk up baby formula in China that has sickened at least 1,200 babies across the country and killed at least two so far, once had a much less dubious purpose and, in fact, can be found in some form in most American homes.

Composed of nitrogen, carbon and hydrogen, the compound was invented in the 1830s by a German scientist and came into fashion as a material used to make plastics and laminates in the late 1930s. When combined with formaldehyde and exposed to extreme heat, melamine creates a moldable material that, when cooled, is virtually unbreakable and dishwasher-safe. This made it the durable dishware of choice on some U.S. Navy ships during World War II. After the war, designer Russel Wright and the St. Louis-based company Branchell, among others, developed molded dinnerware out of melamine, known as Melmac, designing sets under names like "Flair," "Fortiflex" and "Color-Flyte." Throughout the 1950s, as Americans started buying processed foods and washing machines, clamoring for anything that conveyed "modern," colorful melamine bowls and plates became mainstays in kitchens across the country. Unfortunately, Melmac tableware was prone to scratches and stains and so the dishes fell out of favor by the 1970s, as more resilient household plastics were phased in and families returned to ceramic, china and glass-made dishes.

In the past decade or so, Melmac has become popular again, with collectors and savvy eBay dealers selling Wright and Branchell pieces, and new designers using the material for retro-themed household items.

But as melamine experienced a resurgence in American kitchens, the material — in powdered form — has also come into use by certain unscrupulous food companies as a cheap and abundant filler substance for products ranging from livestock feed to pet food — and now, apparently, to baby formula. In some tests used to determine the nutritional value of a foodstuff, melamine shows up as a protein — so manufacturers can use the compound to make their products appear more nutritious. Melamine is not toxic, but inside the body it can cause kidney stones and renal failure. In 2007, material containing melamine — but labeled as wheat gluten and rice protein — was shipped from Chinese manufacturers to pet food companies in the U.S. and elsewhere. After a Canadian pet food company announced it was voluntarily recalling food that was sickening pets, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fielded thousands of similar complaints across the U.S. Soon after, a myriad of pet foods contaminated with the tainted gluten and protein from China were recalled from the market, but not before thousands of pets had died from renal failure.

This month, under pressure from the New Zealand government, which had received complaints that a Chinese manufacturer was ignoring reports that its baby formula was sickening infants, China announced an investigation. Days later, it emerged that more than 1,000 babies were sick, many contracting kidney stones, after consuming melamine-tainted formula. At least two babies have died. On Sept. 13, China said that 19 people have been detained in the ensuing probe. Some critics, however, have suggested China knew about the link between the sick babies and malamine-laced formula months ago — well before the Summer Olympics in Beijing — but did not investigate until external pressure left them no choice.

Melamine - TIME


Melamine Found in U.S.-Made Baby Formula
By Todd Neale, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: November 26, 2008

ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 26 -- A trace amount of melamine, the toxic chemical that has sickened tens of thousands of infants in China, was found in a U.S.-manufactured infant formula, the FDA confirmed.

A spokesperson for the agency would not identify which brand was affected, and said that "extremely low" levels of the chemical were found in only one of 77 samples tested.

The agency is awaiting results on another 10 samples.

Stephanie Kwisnek, with the FDA's Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition stressed that the agency believes U.S.-produced infant formula is safe. There are no plans for recalls, she said.

"There's no concern for public health. FDA's advice to parents is to continue to use U.S.-produced infant formula. It is safe, effective, and wholesome. There's no health risk," according to Kwisnek.

The contamination is believed to be the result of the manufacturing process, she said. Melamine is approved for use in can liners.

Testing in the U.S. began in September following the discovery of melamine-contaminated infant formula in China, which has sickened more than 50,000 Chinese infants and killed four.

In the contaminated U.S.-produced sample, the FDA detected levels of 137 parts per billion and 140 parts per billion.

On Oct. 3, the agency announced that it could not establish any safe level for melamine in infant formula. (See: FDA Says No Safe Level of Melamine in Baby Formula)

But, Kwisnek said, the agency has continued testing since then and is in the process of updating its risk assessment for melamine. There is no timetable for its release.

Even though there is no accepted safe level of melamine for infant formula, she said, the concentrations detected are so low that the agency would not expect them to be dangerous.

There have been no illnesses reported in the U.S. in connection with melamine-tainted formula.

The finding of contaminated U.S.-manufactured products was first reported by the Associated Press, stemming from a Freedom of Information Act request.

The AP identified the melamine-contaminated sample as Mead Johnson's Enfamil LIPIL with Iron.

Another sample -- Nestle's Good Start Supreme Infant Formula -- was tainted with cyanuric acid, a byproduct of melamine, the news organization said.

Several products have been pulled from the market over the past two months because of suspected melamine contamination, including a fruit-flavored drink called Blue Cat, YILI Brand Sour Milk Drink, YILI Brand Pure Milk Drink, and several Mr. Brown coffee and tea products. (See: Chinese Melamine Contamination Triggers U.S. Recall of Instant Coffee and Tea Products, Fruit-Flavored Drinks Tainted by Chinese Melamine, and FDA Finds Melamine in Asian Milk Drinks)

Medical News: Melamine Found in U.S.-Made Baby Formula - in Infectious Disease, Public Health from MedPage Today