The Melamine Scare

Another crisis has hit the world. This time now comes from one of the world’s most relevant human consumable-the milk. What is scary about this is that there are already reported incidents of death among children in China.

So what is really melamine? Wikipedia defines melamine as: an organic base and a trimer of cyanamide, with a 1,3,5-triazine skeleton. Like cyanamide, it contains 66% nitrogen by mass and, if mixed with resins, has fire retardant properties due to its release of nitrogen gas when burned or charred, and has several other industrial uses. Melamine is also a metabolite of cyromazine, a pesticide. It is formed in the body of mammals who have ingested cyromazine. It has been reported that cyromazine can also be converted to melamine in plants. Melamine is generally used in plastics, adhesives, countertops, dishware, whiteboards and other industrial processes.
A lot of questions have already been raised as to why melamine was added into milk and infant powder formula. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) web site, it all started in China where adulteration has occurred; water has been added to raw milk to increase its volume. As a result of this dilution the milk has a lower protein concentration. Companies using the milk for further production (e.g. of powdered infant formula) normally check the protein level through a test measuring nitrogen content. The addition of melamine increases the nitrogen content of the milk and therefore its apparent protein content.

What are the health effects of melamine consumptions in humans? According to WHO, there are no direct human studies on the effect of melamine. However, the effect can be based on the effects of melamine to animals which have been subjected to studies. And it has found out that it has adverse health effects. Melamine alone causes bladder stones in animal tests. When combined with cyanuric acid, which may also be present in melamine powder, melamine can form crystals that can give rise to kidney stones.

These small crystals can also block the small tubes in the kidney potentially stopping the production of urine, causing kidney failure and, in some cases, death. Melamine has also been shown to have carcinogenic effects in animals in certain circumstances, but there is insufficient evidence to make a judgment on carcinogenic risk in humans.

So how do you know whether you are infected with melamine poisoning? Some symptoms and signs are irritability, blood in urine, little or no urine, signs of kidney infection, and high blood pressure.

The best thing to do now is to stop buying products from China especially milk, chocolates, drinks. And more importantly be updated on the recent developments of product testing that your government is doing.