Melamine

The situation is even more complicated by the fact that trace elements of melamine are very often found throughout the global food chain posing no risk to human health. Therefore, one of the challenges is distinguishing between existing traces of melamine, which pose no harm, and melamine which has been intentionally added into the food chain.

Understanding these facts is important in order to avoid panicking consumers. A risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), for example, concluded that melamine contaminated food products such as biscuits and confectionery products posed very low health risk even if consumed in vast quantities.

To illustrate, EFSA derived a Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) for melamine (and its analogous) of 0.5mg of melamine per kilogram of body weight per day. For a person weighing 70kg this would mean a daily intake of 35mg. The TDI applied by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is similar in magnitude of the EFSA limit at 0.63 mg/kg body weight/day. By using a worse case scenario, the U.S. FDA derived at the conclusion that levels of melamine and melamine-related compounds below 2.5 ppm do not raise public health concerns.
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http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/11/01/melamine-food-facts-and-risks.html
 
And I quote from the Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety (Hong Kong !!!)

2. How did melamine get into infant formula?
The adulterant melamine was added to the milk to cause a false increase in the measurement of protein for dairy products. It is not allowed to be added to food in any quantity.

http://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_fstr/whatsnew_fstr_Test_dairy_product_FAQ.html


If this is Hong Kong and they are saying this maybe we should take some notice, this is all about profits, use Melamine to increase protein readings at a lower cost.
Absolute bull***** that an industrial chemical is allowed in food.
 
LancelotSA said:
F_ckNut THAT IS WHAT I SAID!!!! Can you read?

I said that although my product has a barcode which starts with 600 it means nothing as the raw materials are sourced elsewhere! Geez, you are a pain to chat with!
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Sorry I got the impression you are trying to defend the scoundrels (BTW; This is not a chatting matter, it is serious matters). I am just concerned for your baby, and many more. Mine is grown. The point is that babies consume huge amounts of the formulae in short time. Thus contaminated milk will saturate the small body in no time. Have you ever heard of small babies having kidney stones before? The melamine crystallizes in the urine system based on concentrations and that is the crux of the problem. In South Africa there is no standards for melamine the USA FDA have a limit of 0.63mg/kg safety level. Just compare that with what Nestle' had in their products withdrawn.
The more voices and pressure against the Government and Manufacturers the better. No point to always protect these profiteering scoundrels. They feel nothing for us. It’s all about the money.

This is more reassuring tho


http://www.dairyconnect.co.za/dairyMail/issues/dec2008/promiseofsandal.djhtml

But this is not

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-11-28-hawkers-arrested-for-selling-toxic-milk-powder

See what I mean? Money talks. How did that milk return in the distribution system?
 
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FnuckNut, you are now just posting other people's posts, and mine, back at me and trying to come across as an authority on the matter. I FULLY understand the risks hence the reason I did my research when the story broke in China.

This is the reason I posted info on the products that have been withdrawn from the shelves here so parents who are using it can be aware and return the product. I am not trying to just whip up a frenzy. Any health risk needs to be handled constructively and not just to run around screaming "we are all going to die!".

What else am I meant to do? I'm not sure that not feeding the baby at all will be better for her! :rolleyes:
 
Anyway I am done here, take this information I presented with a pinch of salt. Take it serious or don't. You’re choice. I have no love for this government that cannot be trusted with health and security and neither in companies trying to justify their profits.

The fact that this even happened in South Africa tells me this is just the tip of the Ice berg. What else are we and our loved ones consuming that will affect us later in life? Is the real question to ask? Concerning infants there is just NO excuse or ANY tradeoff they cannot decide for themselves. It’s just criminal.
 
Fnuck I agree, I could care less as I dont have kids but people would rather bury their heads in the sand than hear the potential truth. I really think this is the tip of the iceberg.
If we knew what these companies were doing to maximise profits......:eek:
 
FnuckNut said:
The fact that this even happened in South Africa tells me this is just the tip of the Ice berg. What else are we and our loved ones consuming that will affect us later in life?
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There we go, that sums up your view really.... it is not only this country in which this happened. In fact all this anger of yours should be aimed at China, not SA.
 
Well anyone who eats anything from that place deserves to be poisoned. ;)
I just want to know if there are these poisons in there to begin with. It is my right to know what I am consuming.
 
LancelotSA said:
There we go, that sums up your view really.... it is not only this country in which this happened. In fact all this anger of yours should be aimed at China, not SA.
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Believe what you want to suss your own mind. I rely on our government to protect us against any invasion, threat or danger from anywhere. Alas that trust or reliance seems to be misplaced and futile to say the least.


LancelotSA said:
What else am I meant to do? I'm not sure that not feeding the baby at all will be better for her! :rolleyes:
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Be aware (as you are). Stop defending the culprits, Look into each purchase carefully, look at other options in the interim. Discuss with your MD or Pharmacist and look at Soya or other safe imported products that is not on the general store shelves. For the interim that is what I will do until this matter is cleared up. October/November is when this crisis struck finally while it was kept under wraps for months, leaked in papers. Thus as I said look at alternate means till clarity is the order of the day.

Now I am done
Cheers
My loved ones always comes first. They are all I have. They are my pride and joy and are the only worthwhile possessions in life. The rest is just meaningless without them.
 
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FnuckNut said:
Be aware (as you are). Stop defending the culprits, Look into each purchase carefully, look at other options in the interim. Discuss with your MD or Pharmacist and look at Soya or other safe imported products that is not on the general store shelves.
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Done, except I do not trust my child's health with a GP or pharmacist, so I questioned our paediatrician. And he said all SA infant products are fine. How are they going to know more than we do?
 
daveza said:
Yes to a point, although it would be nice to know that what we import has been tested before being put on the shelves.
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As far as I am aware no country tested for melamine in food products prior to this scare as it is not meant to be there in any large amounts but merely as trace. So again the anger is unfairly being directed at SA as a country!

marine1 said:
Exactly, too much happening in this bloody corrupt place.
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Again this sums up the true meaning behind posts such as this.... ulterior motives.
 
How does anyone know if these products are safe if they do not have the means to test???
:confused:
Bottom line, if there is Melamine in there at all, let me be able to decide for myself if I want to eat or consume in any way an industrial chemical.
 
LancelotSA said:
As far as I am aware no country tested for melamine in food products prior to this scare as it is not meant to be there in any large amounts but merely as trace. So again the anger is unfairly being directed at SA as a country!


Again this sums up the true meaning behind posts such as this.... ulterior motives.
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There we are; the forever MyBB government protector and safe keeping guardian.
Thank for clearing up the matter of your own agenda
Cheers

Some more concerned citizens
http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/opinion.aspx?ID=BD4A894198

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=117&art_id=vn20081011082154310C610857
 
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marine1 said:
How does anyone know if these products are safe if they do not have the means to test???
:confused:
Bottom line, if there is Melamine in there at all, let me be able to decide for myself if I want to eat or consume in any way an industrial chemical.
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TO REPEAT : As stated above there was no need to test for melamine in food products as it should not be there.You will find they probably do not test for sulphuric acid, arsenic, dog sh_t either as it should not be there to start with. But they are now getting the necessary tests set up :

SABS spokesperson Tobey Matlaisane said the bureau had ordered the scientific standard test for melamine in food products, but it would only arrive in four to six weeks.

The bureau is responsible for testing food products in general.

A CSIR laboratory official said the council was unable to carry out melamine tests in food, but was in the process of setting up the methods.

The NCF started testing several products, including chocolates, snack bars, biscuits and a range of cereals, to check for the chemical additive.
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By the way Marine, your credibility was out the window when it became apparent that your knowledge on this subject is limited to a brief conversation with an anti fur marcher! Your motive is not to take over the world (you clearly watch too many cartoons!) but to knock this country. It has been clearly demonstrated elsewhere. But this is off topic so let's stick to responding to your posts shall we?
 
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LancelotSA said:
TO REPEAT : As stated above there was no need to test for melamine in food products as it should not be there.You will find they probably do not test for sulphuric acid, arsenic, dog sh_t either as it should not be there to start with. But they are now getting the necessary tests set up :



By the way Marine, your credibility was out the window when it became apparent that your knowledge on this subject is limited to a brief conversation with an anti fur marcher! Your motive is not to take over the world (you clearly watch too many cartoons!) but to knock this country. It has been clearly demonstrated elsewhere. But this is off topic so let's stick to responding to your posts shall we?
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Great, so now u have me worried about dog sh_t in food. :eek:
What do you know about it?

I'll probably get some emails about that now. :)
 
Lancelot well done for degrading the thread. Lets make it personal. :rolleyes:
Typical, maybe go read the forum suggestions section on attitudes when debating. :rolleyes:
 
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