Trace Melamine Found In U.S. Baby Formula

Same Chemical Fatally Added To Chinese Formula; FDA Says Amount Detected Here Is "Perfectly Fine"

(AP)  Traces of the industrial chemical melamine have been detected in samples of top-selling U.S. infant formula, but federal regulators insist the products are safe.

The Food and Drug Administration said last month it was unable to identify any melamine exposure level as safe for infants, but a top official said it would be a "dangerous overreaction" for parents to stop feeding infant formula to babies who depend on it.

"The levels that we are detecting are extremely low," said Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "They should not be changing the diet. If they've been feeding a particular product, they should continue to feed that product. That's in the best interest of the baby."

Melamine is the chemical found in Chinese infant formula - in far larger concentrations - that has been blamed for killing at least three babies and making at least 50,000 others ill.

Previously undisclosed tests, obtained by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act, show that the FDA has detected melamine in a sample of one popular formula and the presence of cyanuric acid, a chemical relative of melamine, in the formula of a second manufacturer.

Separately, a third major formula maker told AP that in-house tests had detected trace levels of melamine in its infant formula.

The three firms - Abbott Laboratories, Nestle and Mead Johnson - manufacture more than 90 percent of all infant formula produced in the United States.

The FDA and other experts said the melamine contamination in U.S.-made formula had occurred during the manufacturing process, rather than intentionally.

The U.S. government quietly began testing domestically produced infant formula in September, soon after problems with melamine-spiked formula surfaced in China.

Sundlof said there have been no reports of human illness in the United States from melamine, which can bind with other chemicals in urine, potentially causing damaging stones in the kidney or bladder and, in extreme cases, kidney failure.

Melamine is used in some U.S. plastic food packaging and can rub off onto what we eat; it's also contained in a cleaning solution used on some food processing equipment and can leach into the products being prepared.

Sundlof told the AP the positive test results "so far are in the trace range, and from a public health or infant health perspective, we consider those to be perfectly fine."

That's different from the impression of zero tolerance the agency left on Oct. 3, when it stated: "FDA is currently unable to establish any level of melamine and melamine-related compounds in infant formula that does not raise public health concerns."

FDA scientists said then that they couldn't set an acceptable level of melamine exposure in infant formula because science hadn't had enough time to understand the chemical's effects on infants' underdeveloped kidneys. Plus, there is the complicating factor that infant formula often constitutes a newborn's entire diet.

The agency added, however, that its position did not mean that any exposure to a detectable level of melamine and melamine-related compounds in infant formula would result in harm to infants.

Still, the announcement was widely interpreted by manufacturers, the news media and Congress to mean that infant formula that tested positive at any level could not be sold in the United States.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association, for example, told its members: "FDA could not identify a safe level for melamine and related compounds in infant formula; thus it can be concluded they will not accept any detectable melamine in infant formula."

It was not until the AP inquired about tests on domestic formula that the FDA articulated that while it couldn't set a safe exposure for infants, it would accept some melamine in formula - raising the question of whether the decision to accept very low concentrations was made only after traces were detected.

On Sunday, Sundlof said the agency had never said, nor implied, that domestic infant formula was going to be entirely free of melamine. He said he didn't know if the agency's statements on infant formula had been misinterpreted.

In China, melamine was intentionally dumped into watered-down milk to trick food quality tests into showing higher protein levels than actually existed. Byproducts of the milk ended up in infant formula, coffee creamers, even biscuits.

The concentrations of melamine there were extraordinarily high, as much as 2,500 parts per million. The concentrations detected in the FDA samples were 10,000 times smaller - the equivalent of a drop in a 64-gallon trash bin.

There would be no economic advantage to spiking U.S.-made formula at the extremely low levels found in the FDA testing. It neither raises the protein count nor saves valuable protein, said University of California, Davis chemist Michael Filigenzi, a melamine detection expert.

According to FDA data for tests of 77 infant formula samples, a trace concentration of melamine was detected in one product - Mead Johnson's Infant Formula Powder, Enfamil LIPIL with Iron. An FDA spreadsheet shows two tests were conducted on the Enfamil, with readings of 0.137 and 0.14 parts per million.

[airboatboy1]

Hey, a little melamine never hurt anyone! And the government says it''s safe! You know you can trust them!

[longtree-2009]

the chinese are our friends. trust our federal government after all they borrowed some 500 billion from china. yep, chinese are our friends. yeah, right. wanna buy the golden gate bridge? sell it to you for a thousand dollars.

[gearhead1000]

ALL IS OK CITIZEN, HAVE FAITH IN THE FDA. MOVE ALONG, NOTHING TO SEE HERE.

The FDA says its ok, so keep feeding your kids Melamine enriched formula, do not mind the nagging thoughts in your mind you will have later in life when your child develops health issues, we are sure something else caused those. SLEEP WELL CITIZEN KNOWING YOU ARE IN GOOD HANDS WITH THE FDA, THE FDA WOULD NEVER PUT CORPORATE INTERESTS FIRST

[simplemind2]

"There would be no economic advantage to spiking U.S.-made formula at the extremely low levels found in the FDA testing. It neither raises the protein count nor saves valuable protein, said University of California, Davis chemist Michael Filigenzi, a melamine detection expert."

Mr. Filigenzi, for the safety of our offspring''s sake, I hope you are right. But if you are not - say some US baby formula companies purposely introduced
some of the melamine tainted ingredients which they imported from Say - China and mix it into their domestic brand(s), THEN I will have major issue with it!
"no economic advantage to spiking U.S.-made formula"? - hummmm, I''m not so sure!
Let''s wait and see!

[credibility2]

This is all nonsense. Melamine isn''t an edible substance and no level of it should be allowed in any food item, period. All food products should be banned from entering our system unless it''s of domestic origin. Who cares about global trade and what it might do to other industries.

[estabwary]

Amazing how they think people will feel OK with this just because they say so.

[tincup356]

to lastdance,want see something scary,check out info on Aspartame, originally made for chemical warfare,the FDA approved it for use in artificial sweeteners, and medicines in the late 80,s. It has been linked to causing diabetes,one side effect is causing irreversible allergy reactions to other medications,nothing but poison brought to you from our government courtesy of Donald Rumsfeld.

[eggy1620]

If we are continuously being poisoned by corporations and our government, why are our life expectancies getting longer?

[tincup356]

to eggy 1620,who is telling you life expectancy is getting longer? is it the tooth fairy or is it our government who lies about anything and everything? just remember there were WMD, Osama did it, the economy is just fine,the moon is made of cheese,and Washington wont lie to us, lies brought to us by the same people who are poisoning us...The FDA, and our government.

[asor1-2009]

Dear Mothers, do NOT feed your precious baby these formulas.... period.
The FDA has betrayed us before and will/is again. NO level is a "safe level" of this poison.

[get_it_str8]

Trust the FDA....they''ll kill ya.

[impeach___w]

Nothing from China is to be trusted, Nor the FDA. Lawsuits and revenge are the only thing that will get their attention I''m afriad to conclude.

[psk123-2009]

No level of poison is an acceptable level of poison. ESPECIALLY when we are talking about OUR babies and children. I am disgusted with our FDA.

[lady_organs]

Shut up you liberals, melamine is perfectly fine! Bush says so!

[usclimey]

More scare tactics. With today''s instrumentation such small amounts of material can be detected that, if you look hard enough, you''d be able to find trace amounts of any chemical you''d care to look for in everything. Plants often have trace amounts of really deadly chemicals that they produce themselves. My favorite example is alfalfa sprouts - these contain a chemical called Aflatoxin A. In some test Afla A has been shown to be 100 times more carcinogenic than dioxin. Ban Alfalfa anyone?

Sure - it is truly awful that the Chinese companies have spiked their milk with melamine. However, they used 100 to 1000 times the levels mentioned here.

Oh and to the guy who keeps on going on about aspartame - read some original literature on the stuff - don''t blindly follow everything you read on the web.

[incog-nito]

Statement from FDA: "Melamine may be bad for Chinese babies, but should be no cause for concern here. American kids are tough and can handle any poison our corporations dish out."

[lady_organs]

What has to happen is a class action lawsuit against the companies making/selling this poison.

This will get the attention of the FDA as they never want any harm to come to any company.

enough is enough. Company profits need to take a back seat to safety. (not really an issue of safety but just stop poisoning our childred for f''''n profits!)




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by jtdev1
====================
Bush granted them a presidential pardon liberal. Haha!

[usclimey]

What has to happen is a class action lawsuit against the companies making/selling this poison.

Posted by jtdev1

Melamine has been manufactured since 1956 - it is used in making synthetic resins and plastics. Thousands upon thousands of so-called toxic chemicals are manufactured every day and are used by society by the megaton in the compounds that are made with them. Take table salt for example. Chemical formula sodium chloride. Au naturelle, sodium is a metal that catches fire on contact with water while chlorine is a highly toxic gas used in WWI. Stick them together they''re table salt!!

If you sue a company for making melamine, you''d have to sue the entire chemical industry for making everything. You think the world''s in trouble now - shut down the chemical industry and see what happens.

[littlebit123]

Leave to the Bush Admininstration''s FDA to protect and defend the CORPORATIONS rather than the consumer/taxpayer and the innocent infants. ABSOLUTELY DISGRACEFUL! Yet another manifestation of our nation and culture not in decline but in absolute free fall and past the edge of the abyss when corporations'' bottom lines and images are more important than its citizens, not to mention innocents. God help us.

[littlebit123]

avoice: thank you for enlightening usclimey. ignorance like that should be embarrassing.

[jtdev1]

If you sue a company for making melamine, you''''d have to sue the entire chemical industry for making everything.

Posted by usclimey

-----------------



No, no... Don''t sue them for making Melamine, you sue them for selling this toxic substance as healthy Baby Food.... They are Liable for the damages their product causes, just like if I sold you a car that explodes on impact (Ford Pinto)...

There is no reason explainable for Melamine to be an ANY FOOD at all. It is a PLASTIC and Toxic (just ask the Chinese mothers)...

The only reason you would find this poison in food is to increase the protien reading of the food so it can be sold for more MONEY $$$$$$$

It''s all about money...

Now my 11 month old has been using Similac formula and now I worry about her ingesting this POISON...


Remember, only 18 samples were tested out of how many MILLIONS sold?

[shochikibo]

our first responsibility is to our shareholders. we are mere _consumers_ whose quality of life is less important than corp profits and exec pay. business leaders? look where they have led us.

[littlebit123]

I used to worry about the Chinese invading the US once Bush weakened our country enough. But they were much smarter than that, they can poison us at the same time our government is shooting us in the head. They can sit back and wait for us to implode while they laugh all the way to the bank.

[txgrouch2007]

Melamine in baby formula????

QUICK RUN TO WAL-MART AND BUY ALL YOU CAN!

WE WANT TO BE LIKE CHINA! WE WANT TO BE LIKE CHINA! WE WANT TO BE LIKE CHINA!

Bill Clinton and the rest of the globalization advocates must be SO PROUD.

[txgrouch2007]

First, chlorine and chloride are not the same thing. Second, NaCl is an ionic compound
Posted by avoice at 09:29 AM : Nov 26, 2008

Out to prove once again what an ignorant doofus you are???

"Cl" is chlorine. Chlorine is chlorine. "Chloride" refers to "A binary compound of chlorine."

Chloride is chlorine.

You are an imbecile.

[txgrouch2007]

avoice: thank you for enlightening usclimey. ignorance like that should be embarrassing.
Posted by littlebit123 at 09:33 AM : Nov 26, 2008

Do you even know what a dictionary IS???

You''re an imbecile, too.

Or avoice posting under a different screen name. LOL!

[littlebit123]

Neo-republicans and so-called conservatives: Please feed this garbage to yourselves (please not to your children) and purchase all Chinese products you can. That way the rest of us can be rid of you. txgrouch especially. Happy Thanksgiving.

[usclimey]

First, chlorine and chloride are not the same thing. Second, NaCl is an ionic compound (found naturally) that is not toxic; melamine is toxic.

Posted by avoice

I was simly pointing out that just because the components of a chemical are toxic, does not mean the chemical is. By the way the way chlorine is made industrially is to pass an electric current through molten sodium chloride.

So everything man-made chemical is toxic?

[littlebit123]

txgrouch: please check your own dictionary for definition of imbicile. You qualify. Hugs & kisses -

[usclimey]

Now my 11 month old has been using Similac formula and now I worry about her ingesting this POISON...

Remember, only 18 samples were tested out of how many MILLIONS sold?


Posted by jtdev1

[rushlimpdrug]

"federal regulators insist the products are safe.
. . .. The Food and Drug Administration said last
month it was unable to identify any melamine
exposure level as safe for infants"

What?

[txgrouch2007]

please check your own dictionary for definition of imbicile. You qualify.
Posted by littlebit123 at 10:25 AM : Nov 26, 2008

Maybe if YOU checked, you''d know how to SPELL imbecile.

Here''s another one for you to look up: projection. It''s you.

[txgrouch2007]

What?
Posted by rushlimpdrug at 10:27 AM : Nov 26, 2008

Never mind. It''s too hard for you to understand.

[littlebit123]

txgrouch: please get a life. picking fights on the internet over spelling is indicative of not having one. perhaps campaigning for palin would be a good choice for you.

[txgrouch2007]

picking fights on the internet over spelling is indicative of not having one. perhaps campaigning for palin would be a good choice for you.
Posted by littlebit123 at 10:33 AM : Nov 26, 2008

You, on the other hand, are much more mature for posting things like:

Please feed this garbage to yourselves ... That way way the rest of us can be rid of you. txgrouch especially.
Posted by littlebit123 at 10:18 AM : Nov 26, 2008

Yah, that''s SO much more enlightened... LOL!

[petro49l]

If the baby formula is tainted with poison, then mothers should breast feed the infants. There is no reason to accept products that are intentionally-made dangerous. The Chinese Government wants fewer infants.

[lady_organs]

If the baby formula is tainted with poison, then mothers should breast feed the infants. There is no reason to accept products that are intentionally-made dangerous. The Chinese Government wants fewer infants.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Petro49L
=======================
Breast feeding infants makes the white, blue eyed, blonde haired baby Jesus cry.

[clovisbuford]

You are an imbecile.
Posted by txgrouch2007 at 10:00 AM : Nov 26, 2008 and what would you say about a government that deliberately relaxed oversight over food safety? that made it public policy to let food manufactures , over see themselves ,without any enforceable means of oversight or penalties for lack of doing so? What about a government agency that inserted itself as a bulwark against civil remedies against big pharma for bad products , one that had failed to have any way of tracing salmonella such as the spinach outbreak , last yr . I want to say whether its the FDA , The EPA , the Sec , whether its , food , drugs , mine safety , wall street , the mortgage industry , under Bush this whole deregulation thing has been a disaster , tainted toys from china , lax oversight in every industry , putting lobbyists over the very industries they worked for etc. .. not a big winner in my opinion . Then again I just had a chance to express my opinion on the last 8 yrs at the ballot box .. yaay America.

[Meg003]

Baby formula should be avoided whenever possible, in my opinion, whether containing known contaminants or not. Any mother who can should eat the best foods, drink plenty of water, and nurse her infants.

[clovisbuford]

1.)A mother%u2019s breast milk IS NOT immune from containing trace amounts of these chemicals.
2.)Chemicals at this incredibly low level are obviously not being introduced intentionally.
3.)The story refers to products made by U.S. manufacturers, not Chinese.
Posted by DaVicar1 at 10:55 AM : Nov 26, 2008 you are quite right on 2 and 3 however #1 would depend on the mothers diet.and #2 I am not sure they have established any safe levels of melamine in infants . I am not saying there are not any , I am saying I don''t know there is a body of work out there in the US that has a scientific opinion on safe melamine levels in infants one way or another. I myself if I had an infant would try to err on the side of caution especially with the statement from the gocers assoc.The Grocery Manufacturers Association, for example, told its members: "FDA could not identify a safe level for melamine and related compounds in infant formula; thus it can be concluded they will not accept any detectable melamine in infant formula." other than that a pretty good voice for rationality vicar or at least as close to reasoned argument as one sees here .

[txgrouch2007]

as a bulwark against civil remedies against big pharma for bad products , one that had failed to have any way ...
Posted by clovisbuford at 10:51 AM : Nov 26, 2008

Do you drive a 1969 VW Beetle with your deranged ravings painted all over it with the lines so close together that the letters from one line touch or overlap the letters of the adjacent line?

There''s a mental health facility somewhere with trained professionals waiting to help you.

Go there. Please.

[txgrouch2007]

The story refers to products made by U.S. manufacturers, not Chinese.
Posted by DaVicar1 at 10:55 AM : Nov 26, 2008

That''s what must be warming the hearts of Bill Clinton and other advocates of globalization.

We have become JUST LIKE CHINA!!!

[Meg003]

There have always been problems with contaminants in food, natural or manufactured. You can grow your own garden vegetables or fruit but have a passing bird leave contaminants on the food.

Aside of the potential contamination issue, with baby formula mothers are choosing the manufactured infant food over what her body produces. When changes are made in formula, don''t you wonder about what infants were missing before the change, and what is missing in today''s infant formula that will be added later?

Unless a mother has some issue that prohibits breastfeeding, she should seek a mentor and make up her mind to nurse her babies. It isn''t always easy, and it''s best to have someone to support you if things aren''t going well. Your baby''s health is worth the effort.

[differnet]

It''s very hard to have any faith in the FDA assurances that the amount of melamine is so small as to be "harmless, " when one considers the many stories like this over the last few years. I feel sorry for President-elect Obama. He has the overwhelming task of trying to restore faith in governmental ageancies. I certainly would be very frightened if I was a mother relying on formula for the nurturance of my child.

[txgrouch2007]

OK, OK, all joking aside.

This issue of "detecting trace amounts" is the result of the latest technology being able to detect MINISCULE amounts of a substance, even just a few molecules.

As chemical detection technology continues to improve, eventually we might be able to detect individual molecules.

This was an "infotainment" evening TV show a long time ago - all of the scary pesticides and other toxic chemicals that are "detectable" in ordinary substances, including food and water. But halfway through the show, the let us in on the gag by pointing out that the QUANTITIES detected were so small that nobody could make a credible case that there was any significant danger.

The melamine found in US formula is incidental quantities caused by TOUCHING some plastic item or some object that had been cleaned with a melamine-containing cleanser.

NOBODY is intentionally pouring macroscopic quantities of melamine in U.S. baby formula.

This whole news item is a joke.

[Meg003]

differnet

The sad truth is, Obama won''t be able to stop stories of food and drug problems. Many components of food and drugs, including vitamins, manufactured here are imported. Unless he imposes trade barriers to stop imports of food and drug substances, we will have untested foods and drugs.

Even if he attempts to improve U.S. manufacturing, he is going to face an impossible task getting perfect food on our tables or perfect drugs in our medicine cabinets. There will always be problems that slip through, because we cannot afford to test every single item.

[usclimey]

NOBODY is intentionally pouring macroscopic quantities of melamine in U.S. baby formula.

This whole news item is a joke.

Posted by txgrouch2007

Thanks grouch - my point exactly, though more clearly stated. Good job.

[jtdev1]

This issue of "detecting trace amounts" is the result of the latest technology being able to detect MINISCULE amounts of a substance, even just a few molecules.

Posted by txgrouch2007



Could be, but it still doesn''t explain why it is detected in SOME of the samples and NOT others...

If your theory was true, wouldn''t all samples tested show it???

[actornaught]

Just more evidence to reinforce that the neocon contract-on-america experiment needs to be shutdown completely. w''s deregulations, and hobbling of oversight of everything from toys to drugs will hopefully be unravelled in favor of the US government doing the public''s business in a meaningful way.

Everybody that voted for w, especially twice, needs to feel total shame.

[clovisbuford]

with your deranged ravings painted all over it with the lines so close together that the letters from one line touch or overlap the letters of the adjacent line?Posted by txgrouch2007 at 11:09 AM : Nov 26, 2008 I gotta love a grammar nazi online . I usually draw the line when people post in all caps like they are important.As for my contention that the FDA has been overzealous in its acting as firewall between big pharma and the consumer you never answered that one. Wow , you must make a killing in the psychiatric market with your skills.Send me an e-mail , or a letter and I can tell by your grammar whether you should seek psychiatric help or not ,one would think the appropriate response would be remedial writing .For me it is the issues that matter."Pharmaceutical firms are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, but that alone does not pre-empt state lawsuits %u2014 and for decades, courts have ruled that lawsuits can still go forward against drug companies for failing to adequately label and warn consumers and doctors about either the dangers of a drug or the dangers in administering it.
Wyeth is arguing that lawsuits like this one are barred, because the FDA approved its label. And for the first time, the federal agency is taking the side of the company.
The case poses two questions." http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95380152