China's Animal Feed Tainted With Melamine

(AP)  The industrial chemical melamine is commonly added to animal feed in China to make it appear higher in protein, state media reported, in what appeared to be a tacit admission by the government that contamination is widespread in the country's food supply.

The practice of mixing melamine into animal feed is an "open secret" in the industry, the Nanfang Daily reported Thursday, describing a process of repackaging melamine scrap into an inexpensive product called "protein powder," which is then sold to feed suppliers.

The Web sites of the official Xinhua News Agency and the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily newspaper also carried the story, in a rare move publicizing information that reflects poorly on the country.

Four brands of Chinese eggs have been found to be contaminated with melamine this past week, and agriculture officials speculated that the cause was adulterated feed given to hens. No illnesses have been linked to melamine in eggs.

The discovery came just weeks after a crisis involving compromised dairy products that sickened tens of thousands of children and was linked to the deaths of four infants.

The scandal was blamed on dairy suppliers who added melamine, a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizer, to watered-down milk to dupe quality control tests and make the product appear rich in protein.

Melamine is high in nitrogen, and most protein tests test for nitrogen levels.

Health experts say ingesting a small amount of melamine poses no danger, but in larger doses, it can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure.

The deliberate addition of melamine to food and animal feed is forbidden in China. Its apparent prevalence highlights the inability of authorities to keep the food production process clean of toxins despite official vows to raise safety standards.

The Ministry of Agriculture and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine did not respond to faxed requests for comment. Phones rang unanswered at the Ministry of Health.

Chemical plants used to pay companies to treat and dispose of melamine scrap, but about five years ago began selling it to manufacturers who repackaged it as "protein powder," the Nanfang Daily reported, citing an unidentified chemical industry expert.

The inexpensive powder was first used to give the impression of higher protein levels in aquatic feed, then later in feed for livestock and poultry, the report said.

"The effect far more exceeds the milk powder scandal," the newspaper said.

The account was backed up by a manager at a feed company based in central China's Henan province, though he said the practice has been going on for even longer than reported - some seven or eight years.

The manager, who refused to give The Associated Press his name or other identifying details citing the sensitivity of the issue, blamed suppliers to the feed companies.

"It's the suppliers who do it to raise the protein level, because we put in the contract a requirement for a certain level of protein," he said. "It's very common that feed for egg-laying hens contains melamine. The suppliers add it because their ingredients for the feed are sold at a low price."

He added that his company's contract with suppliers bans them from adding melamine to their products.

Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, said it was unlikely that humans would get sick from eating meat from animals raised on melamine-tainted feed, because the amount of chemical contained in a few servings of meat would not be harmful.

But "it shouldn't be in the food supply at all. It's fraudulent. And the animals really can't use it for nutrition, so it's not good for the animals," Nestle said.
By Associated Press Writer Anita Chang; AP researcher Xi Yue in Beijing contributed to this report

[caliengineer]

This is the most modern form of warfare: slowly poison populations in order to reduce their health, kill some, reduce live birth rates and gain a small advantage for the perpetrators.
The plan was first developed by Germany during WWII. When America captured the plans, they instituted it themselves. It is called operation "Paper Clip". The Chinese stole the idea from America.
Fluoride in water is part of this. Also: mercury in MMR shots, etc.

[caliengineer]

Daniel Rodes prophecied years ago that China would begin to intentionally poison Americans. He prophecied the poison would be found and that the Chinese would then begin to poison other things instead, like the handles of hammers.

[safefood]

So, melamine, pesticides, herbicides and genetically modified genes in farm animal feed and crops we eat isn''t hurting us? Put 2+2 together, folks! We are what we eat.Look at the pitiful state of health in America, ESPECIALLY OUR CHILDREN, WHO USED TO BE THE HEALTHY ONES! Our centurians grew up on unadulterated food; our children aren''t. Now, AMERICAN CHILDREN ARE GETTING KIDNEY STONES. WHERE DID THIS COME FROM? THEY HAVE ALWAYS EATEN SALT AND DIDN''T DRINK ENOUGH WATER, BUT SUDDENLY NOW THEY ARE GETTING KIDNEY STONES. DON''T TELL ME MELAMINE IN IMPORTED FOOD ISN''T POISONING US!

[indianaman13]

You have to ask yourself, who makes the substance and fine them for selling the powder for illegal use. Make it a law and post an inspector or inspectors in facilities to ensure the substance goes to a legit place that uses it for its intended purpose.

[sepa2]

The food contamination in China and financial meltdown in US point to same the troubling trait - calous disregard for well being of society for ill gotten profits and utter indifference of the government as caretaker

[justspiffy]

Don''t worry about all the outsourcing it will soon be gone and jobs will come back in the US. This was just the Bush adm. way for the CEO''s to make big money.
But that to will soon be over. Ford GM just name any
large Corp. the outsourcing has lost them tons of money. Who did they think were going to buy their cars the people in China? Look at the price of their stock. They laid of the people who bought the cars now they''re broke.
Just watch the Stock Market and see.
Everytime we''re down 200 China is down 2000 or more.
Let the market take care of China and India.

[skeezix06]

Boycott anyone?

You know what''s really frightening about all this? Listening to a story this morning where CBS told us about lead paint on Halloween toys and instead of hearing the FDA had issued a recall, we were told to be sure our kids washed their hands after touching them, etc. Lead paint has apparently become acceptable to the FDA under Bush Jr. Poisoned food, plastic, toys, gift bags, you name it, is now acceptable. This is unacceptable.

[jsf14]

The amount in afew slicess of meat won''t hurt. The quantity in couple of eggs a day won''t hurt. The little bit in a candy bar won''t hurt. The small amount in fish won''t hurt. But what happens when you add it all up?

[vranger]

JohnBrown, you made some good points but also a couple of reaaly goofy and completely wrong ones.

First, we have never sold our scientific edge to China. We still make a LOT of things that they are not close to being able to produce at all, or at the needed quality level. However, Chinese intellectuals and engineers can hold their own in many respects, and for centuries were well ahead of Western science. Their edge only began to falter after severe isolationist policies were imposed a few hundred years ago, and got worse when the communists destroyed incentive during their reign. The later problem is being revered tho, and they are catching back up, all on their own, just fine.

Second, it is absolutely, categorically untrue (and laughable LOL) to state that American kids don''t want to go into scientific professions. Engineering and scientific programs at colleges are full up with good achievers. Just ask MIT, Ga Tech, Cal Tech, etc if they are having any problems with student applications ... they are not.

[vranger]

As much as I dislike poor quality cheap imports, economic protectionism has never worked as a solution to this. Throughout history, restrictive trade policies such as high tariffs have invariably led to recessions in our own economy.

This is hardly a recent problem, and certainly nothing that can be blamed on the current administration or its policies. NAFTA, which Democrats have been blasting Bush for during this entire election cycle, was CLINTON''s BABY! ROFL

In the mid 60s, our government allowed the Japanese to completely destroy our domestic television industry. That was, by the way, two Democratic presidents and a Democratic congress in charge at the time.

However, with global transportation and communications as accessible as they are, there is no stopping certain industries from producing where the cost is low. It is therefore our responsibility to stay ahead of the trends and create jobs to replace manufacturing sectors lost to this. The example is simplistic, but a worker in China can never cut your grass or your hair, install your satellite dish, or help figure out how to set up your retirement plan.

We just have to make sure that we realize ahead of time which manufacturing sectors are going to disappear, and find replacements in new high tech products and service.