Contaminated Baby Formula Fears Hit U.S.

CBS Evening News: The FDA Says Baby Formula Contains A Deadly Chemical, But Swears The Amounts Are Safe

(CBS)  After three babies were killed and thousands became ill from infant formula in China, mothers in the United States started asking "How safe is the formula here?" Though the answer is unclear, reports CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller, the government responded by instituting new safety standards.

Three-year-old Michael Feliciano was raised on baby formula.

"Throughout the first year he had Infamil LIPILwith Iron," says Jasmine Feliciano, Michael's mom. "I never breast-fed or anything."

Michael's formula is one of two best-selling brands that the Food and Drug Administration said tested positive for trace amounts of either the industrial chemical, melamine or a similar one called cyanuric acid.

They are Mead Johnson's Enfamil LIPIL with Iron and Nestle's Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron. Abbott Laboratories, whose brands include Similac, independently reported that it had detected trace levels of melamine in its formula.

"Those three are like the number one formulas that they tell you to give to your kids if you are not going to breast feed," says mom Barbara Newsome.

The FDA came under fire recently for failing to set safety standards after large doses of melamine, as much as 10,000 parts per million, caused the deaths of three infants in China and made 50-thousand others sick. But late last week, administration set a safe threshold for either of the chemicals alone at 1 part per million - higher than the amounts they found in U.S. brands. The FDA insists the formulas are safe.

"That's a grain of sand in the beach," says Dr. Daniel Rauch, a pediatrician at New York University's Langone Medical Center. "That's a very, very small amount."

But is that very small amount safe?

"We think it's safe," Dr. Rauch says. "But the bottom line is that we don't really know, and zero would be best."

The FDA said it believes the contamination may occur because melamine is contained in a cleaning solution used on some food processing equipment.

Parents looking for an alternative might consider this: about 90 percent of all infant formulas produced in the U.S. are made by the three companies whose products tested positive for contaminants.

"For my next baby, I will breastfeed," says Jasmine Feliciano

The non-profit consumer advocacy group Consumers Union told CBS News it is not satisfied with the FDA tests and is calling for a recall of formula containing any melamine or cyanuric acid.

[lila356]

The FDA is a joke. They are paid off by the Pharmaceutical Industry and the Chemical Manufacturer''s which are just about the same. Why else have they NOT acted. They never report who is doing what or what companies are responsible for any violations, have you noticed? It is horrible that we live in a country that will not take steps to control this type of thing. They want to make us believe they care about us and use our tax dollars to protect us. BS. It''s all lies. The corruption is rampant in our government and it''s agencies.

[kjgp1-2009]

Would be interesting to know how many of the precursor ingredients were imported from China.

Melamine in pet food, lead in toy paint, contaminated heparin, do we really need to import everything from China?

[ameidiot]

Re: kjgp1
You idiot, these are made in U.S.

[Sandymarie]

If my watchdog stopped protecting my home, I would buy another watchdog. If the FDA can''t fulfill it''s purpose, then it needs reorganization, restructure, whatever is necessary to do its job and protect the American consumer. What company (or companies) are the providers of the remaining 10% of baby formulas? Are their formulas safe? If so, reward them with the 90% profit that the top companies are reaping with their tainted goods. Watchdog organizations shouldn''t need a Freedom of Information Act request to do their job. Someone call a vet. Our watchdog is sick.

[Michael Arnold]

I don''t believe anything these liars say. All they want is for the cash to flow.

[pjs0100]

re:ameidiot
[Re: kjgp1
You idiot, these are made in U.S]
I don''t generally call people an idiot but you my friend are not only an idiot but uninformed. Do you not know what a precursor ingredient is? I think kjgp1 made an excellent point and asked a question that needs to be answered. Let me educate you on something, just because it is made in the US does not mean that all parts or ingredients were produced in the US. Please educate yourself before you go name calling, you IDIOT!

[farkusa]

Idiot+ pjs0100, it does not mean just because it is made in US it is SAFE, look up the history and why FDA was set up ... There are equal number and higher percentage of businessmen in the USA will kill for money .. asked the drug dealers

[slim1h2o]

CBS Evening News: The FDA Says Baby Formula Contains A Deadly Chemical, But Swears The Amounts Are Safe


Sounds muck like what the EPA was saying about the safety of the air in NYC after 9-11.

Do you trust these government agencies? Well do ya?

I don''t.

[BeyondGreen]

God gave mother''s the perfect food for their babies, it is called breast milk. Granted there are a few who can not breast feed. But there are a lot who don''t even try for selfish reasons. The further we get away from nature the worse off we are and the more at risk we put our children

[juwboy]

The infant formula in China contained 10,000 ppm of melamine i.e. 1%.

The products that are the subject of this report contained less than 1 ppm of melamine, so the situations are not comparable and the products are probably safe.

It is not possible to remove all traces of toxic substances from food, either raw or prepared. All food contains detectable traces of lead, mercury and arsenic, for example.

[txgrouch2007]

Nobody is intentionally adding macroscopic quantities of melamine to baby formula in the USA. The amounts detected are miniscule trace amounts due to contact with plastics and with surfaces that were cleaned with cleansers that contained melamine.

If you keep foods in plastic containers in your refrigerator, your food at home probably has more melamine than this baby formula.

The baby formula probably picks up more melamine from contact with plastic baby bottles and soft plastic baby bottle nipples.

This is nothing but a journalistic scare designed to create hysteria and sell more news.

[txgrouch2007]

Melamine in pet food, lead in toy paint, contaminated heparin, do we really need to import everything from China?
Posted by kjgp1 at 11:22 PM : Nov 30, 2008

No, we don''t. But the Wal-mart crowd insists, and now they''re killing people for low prices. So it''s no surprise they''re killing our economy.

Creating hysteria over melamine in baby formula is as absurd as the hysteria over hydrogen in dirigibles after the Hindenberg disaster. It wasn''t really the hydrogen that burned, it was the highly flammable paint that was used on the fabric covering of the exterior skin of the Hindenberg - used because it was lighter and it saved fuel.

But then, the public believed the hydrogen hysteria for fifty years...

[txgrouch2007]

Translation: I love Bush. Poison in baby food is OK. Hey, its not my baby.
Posted by FloydZeppd at 06:32 AM : Dec 01, 2008

Up yours. This is about babies, not about your personal political agenda of Bush bashing.

[txgrouch2007]

This whole story is a news media scare to create hysteria. Nothing more.

[juwboy]

Floydy Poo:

So, your advice to new mothers would be:

"Don`t breast-feed your baby, because all breast milk contains detectable traces of the toxic heavy metals, lead, mercury and arsenic"

[juwboy]

FloydyPoo:

Gentile-Americans outnumber Jewish-Americans by about 50-to-1.

Gentiles outnumber Jews worldwide by about 400-to-1.

Gentile-Americans outnumber Jews worldwide by almost 20-to-1.

So, if Jews are controlling what goes into the food we eat, why are weak, ineffective, limp-wristed, schickerer Yocks like yourself unable to do anything about it?

[slim1h2o]

Creating hysteria over melamine in baby formula is as absurd as the hysteria over hydrogen in dirigibles after the Hindenberg disaster. It wasn''''t really the hydrogen that burned, it was the highly flammable paint that was used on the fabric covering of the exterior skin of the Hindenberg - used because it was lighter and it saved fuel.
posted by txgrouch;

Sorry Grouch, hate to disagree with you on this one, but just saw a show on this very thing, not more than two days ago.
This what they said on the matter, Due to over maneuvering, which caused stress on the ship, caused a support wire to break loose and puncture Hydrogen tank no. 4. And that covering you spoke about? Actually caused static electricity to form and caused the ignition of the escaping fuel. Which in turn caused a chain reaction to the other tanks.

You were right that the covering used was lighter, and hence, saved fuel..

[slim1h2o]

Posted by FloydZeppd at 07:01 AM : Dec 01, 2008

We might as well go back to the hunting gathering method of living. The women folk stays home and takes care of the home-fires, and us men can go out and kill wild game with out sticks, clubs and anything else we can get our hands...

At least we''d more healthier.....

[excoachken]

To allrace haters and race baiters, for once, just try to look at a problem without pointing your index finger at anyone else. Probably, considering your own attitude, using your thumb to assign partial blame would be more appropriate.

[jamikat1]

I am a new mother of an 8 week old and I am very concerned about this issue, but what concerns and upsets me more is when I start to read the comments regarding this issue the first one I read has absolutely nothing to do with the issue at hand, but it is someone showing great hatred for another human being. If a woman decides to bring a life into this world and it does not belong to you then it is none of your business. You don''t live in China and if she does have another baby, it will not be yours so why do you feel you have the right to open our mouth. You don''t! This is a very serious issue and innocent babies are becoming ill and even dying so lets focus on that!

[pensacola98]

Food chemistry is not an exact science as some may believe. Generally speaaking, for everything that is toxic in sufficient concentrations, there is anti-toxin present which helps the host. Scientists discovered this when synthetic food became entertained as a possibility. When known toxins were kept dilluted to safe levels, and antitoxins were completely absent, the host became sickened. Pharmaceuticals also learned this very same thing when creating their patented "Inert" ingredients for medicine, which are not really inert at all, but help the patient''s liver and extent the shelf life of the medication.

The stomach flora in different populations around the world is also different and contributes to the various thresholds of what is considered toxic and what is safe.

The FDA already acknowledges that one toxicity standard does not fit all populations.

A recent endicronologist report published that hormones from different animals taken together with meat (protiens) of those same animals offer effective treatment at lower concentrations and enhance liver health.

[hatesthecolt]

I see no reason for concern. This is just athiests who hate President Bush causing trouble trying to tarnish his shining legacy.

Posted by lady_organs

Oh my yes I agree wholeheartedly! And I think you should lead the way by feeding your kids formula from China just to show all those nasty atheists how wrong they are!

[ameidiot]

re: pjs0100
I think you are more stupid than anyone else here. I just want to educate you too that when melamine is found in US made formula doesn''t mean that there must be some precursor ingredient made in China.

[impeach___w]

Don''t worry we''ve carefully determinded the level of poison you can give your kids without immediate danger to the haelth or safety. We may change those limits as more babies are injured or die in the future but for now this limit is safe...

[txgrouch2007]

If you keep leftovers in plastic containers in your refrigerator, there''s more melamine in your food at home than in U.S. baby formula.

If you put baby formula in a plastic bottle with a soft plastic nipple, you''re putting more melamine in it than it gets in the factory.

[txgrouch2007]

Due to over maneuvering, which caused stress on the ship, caused a support wire to break loose and puncture Hydrogen tank no. 4. And that covering you spoke about? Actually caused static electricity to form and caused the ignition of the escaping fuel. Which in turn caused a chain reaction to the other tanks.
Posted by slim1h2o at 07:21 AM : Dec 01, 2008

I just read that, too. The ground crew heard a "crack" sound.

There''s no proof that a wire broke. There IS ABOUNDANT proof in the newsreel footage that the fire WAS NOT a hydrogen fire.

First, ALL the fabric burned on the tail fins. The tail fins had no hydrogen.

Second, after the nose section fell to the ground, the hydrogen cells are clearly visible inside. You can see the cells melting open and releasing hydrogen directly into the blaze. And yet, there is no visible flare-up of the flames that are visible in the footage. Instead, it appears that some intert gas is coming out of the cells, because the gas has no visible effect at all on the fire.

I read the entire Wikipedia entry, and I can answer all objections. The "crack" noise was the spark of static electricity that touched off a fire in the fabric on top. The rest was a chain reaction from the fabric fire.

[slim1h2o]

I read the entire Wikipedia entry, and I can answer all objections. The "crack" noise was the spark of static electricity that touched off a fire in the fabric on top. The rest was a chain reaction from the fabric fire.

Posted by txgrouch2007 at 10:38 AM : Dec 01, 2008

I don''t ever look up anything on Wikipedia, the info tends not to be very accurate from what I hear.

But the TV program I seen, was on the history channel, and was updated version with computer graphics, that I had never seen before when they have showed segments on the same subject in years past.
In other words, they re-investigated the case, and found out what really happened.

And now it''s new version of what happened. When the wire broke(the crack you mentioned) or cable, it sliced into the covering and Hydro. tank #4, and at the same time, static electricity was building up on the covering, and ignited the escaping fuel, which in turn ignited the covering like you said. But the covering was not the source of the fire itself, according to the show. Like I said, it was updated investigation of the incident.

Maybe they still have it wrong, but it was a plausible theory.

[txgrouch2007]

Maybe they still have it wrong, but it was a plausible theory.
Posted by slim1h2o at 11:06 AM : Dec 01, 2008

I don''t see any convincing evidence of a broken wire in the newsreel footage.

A broken wire would cause visible twisting wrinkles in the fabric, or a control surface moving out of alignment. None of that is visible.

It''s a remotely plausible theory. But no solid evidence to support it.

It''s like the JFK conspiracy theory. People can make up wild stories all day. But at the end of the day, the enhanced Zapruder film ON THE CONSPIRACY THEORY SITE leaves no room for doubt that Oswald fired the fatal shot. Any conspiracy theory is pure speculation.

[txgrouch2007]

I don''''t ever look up anything on Wikipedia, the info tends not to be very accurate from what I hear.
Posted by slim1h2o at 11:06 AM : Dec 01, 2008

Wikipedia presents the broken wire theory, along with about half a dozen half-baked theories and refutations of what''s clearly visible in the newsreel film.

You can''t deny what''s clearly visible. And my conclusion is fully supported by other GENUINE evidence that was found in Germany years later.

It was the paint. Ignited by a spark of static electricity. That''s it.

[jtdev1]

If you keep leftovers in plastic containers in your refrigerator, there''''s more melamine in your food at home than in U.S. baby formula.

If you put baby formula in a plastic bottle with a soft plastic nipple, you''''re putting more melamine in it than it gets in the factory.

Posted by txgrouch2007




You really are a moron... Melamine is a HARD plastic (look it up). Those soft plastic containers your refering to do not contain melamine. (Nice try)

Also, if the traces originated from manufaturing then why is it that some samples contained it and others showed no trace???


So now the FDA came up with some guidelines regarding Melamine... After all this time where they couldn''t decide on a "safe" amount, they come up with it (of course its higher than what they found in the samples) Have to protect the companies at all cost...

[cbscrash072]

This chemical is in your kitchen cabinets. Its also what those MR. Clean magic erasers are made off. How dangerous can it be?

[jtdev1]

How dangerous can it be?

Posted by cbscrash072



Don''t know, care to try some and let us know?

[hatesthecolt]

This chemical is in your kitchen cabinets. Its also what those MR. Clean magic erasers are made off. How dangerous can it be?

Posted by cbscrash072

Well, dead is dead and given that the items you talk about are nto meant to be consumed, I think mayb e it ought NOT to be in baby formula.

[txgrouch2007]

You really are a moron... Melamine is a HARD plastic Posted by jtdev1 at 11:43 AM : Dec 01, 2008

So are you SURE that NONE of the plastic containers in your house has ANY melamine in it?????

How about hard plastic BABY BOTTLES. Any MELAMINE there???

The trace quantities detected would come from CONTACT with a plastic item that contained melamine, or from contact with a surface that had been cleaned with a cleanser that contained melamine.

If it''s NOT present in some samples, it means there was little or no melamine on the surface when they contacted it.

Other samples came in contact with a surface when it did have melamine on it.

NONE of the sampled indicated that someone intentionally poured melamine in the formula.

This is a news media scare, pure and simple.

[demdump]

When are we gonna wake up ???do we have to wait for babies die before we ban Chinese products....
If any baby got sick I HOPE PEOPLE WILL SEEK A MURDER TO CEO''S......

[hatesthecolt]

This is a news media scare, pure and simple.

Posted by txgrouch2007

Da mn I hope you don''t have babies at home... I bet you''d let them play in the street because the risk of being hit by a car is overrated...

[onlythereal-]

Aside from, is it safe or not, the question is, does our government care enough for its people to do their job and keep poisons and deadly viruses out of our food supply? These days, you don''t know what you are eating; best wash those vegetables in a little bleach water and pray that the guy at the soup factory didn''t add a little extra to the mix. How hard would it be for a terrorist or terrorist sympathizer to get a job at a food processing plant, not hard at all we have millions of people from other countries working in them, some legal some not. Some just for honest work and some with "Death to America" on their mind. Our food supply is just one of many serious concerns the people of the United States are facing. Matthew 24 will let you know exactly what is going on, read it for yourselves and decide. There are a people who can see where we as a nation are going and there are those who are just along for the ride anyway so it doesn''t much matter but I challenge you to just look at this one chapter in the bible whether you have never read it before or you will never read it again. Dont let other people tell you how to think, think for yourselves, find out for yourselves.

[axomomma]

Call it a media scare if you will, but we don''t consume any food products from China.
The same with candy from Mexico. They still use lead in their products but for some reason the Media won''t report on that.

[demdump]

SEEK THE MURDER CHARGE TO THE CEO''S OF THE COMPANIES MAKE THAT PRODUCTS....

[lochlan-2009]

"The FDA Says Baby Formula Contains A Deadly Chemical, But Swears The Amounts Are Safe"

Who here trusts the FDA? Who here is willing to take this risk on their children?

[terrapin78]

You really are a moron... Melamine is a HARD plastic Posted by jtdev1 at 11:43 AM : Dec 01, 2008

So are you SURE that NONE of the plastic containers in your house has ANY melamine in it?????

How about hard plastic BABY BOTTLES. Any MELAMINE there???

The trace quantities detected would come from CONTACT with a plastic item that contained melamine, or from contact with a surface that had been cleaned with a cleanser that contained melamine.

If it''''s NOT present in some samples, it means there was little or no melamine on the surface when they contacted it.

Other samples came in contact with a surface when it did have melamine on it.

NONE of the sampled indicated that someone intentionally poured melamine in the formula.

This is a news media scare, pure and simple.

Posted by txgrouch2007 at 12:20 PM : Dec 01, 2008


So you are willing to let your newborn or grandbaby to drink the stuff with melamine in it?

I doubt that you would. Why take any risk with a youngn''?

Maybe this is a contributing factor in the Autism outbreaks!

[matrixrx2003]

BAN ALL FOOD PRODUCTS FROM CHINA.

[eraser8818]

How dangerous can it be?

Posted by cbscrash072


Don''''t know, care to try some and let us know?

Posted by jtdev1 at 12:08 PM : Dec 01, 2008


This chemical is in your kitchen cabinets. Its also what those MR. Clean magic erasers are made off. How dangerous can it be?

Posted by cbscrash072


Well, dead is dead and given that the items you talk about are nto meant to be consumed, I think mayb e it ought NOT to be in baby formula.

Posted by hatesthecolt at 12:13 PM : Dec 01, 2008


I think that "cbscrash072" was just joking. I can''t imagine that he/she is that stupid.

I could be wrong though.

[shanev137]

Bush has been killing babies now via the FDA.


Not surprising.

[erasmus606]

BAN ALL FOOD PRODUCTS FROM CHINA.

Posted by MatrixRX2003 at 02:45 PM : Dec 01, 2008

It isn''t just food that is the problem. Everything needs to be banned from China.

[yongamerica]

Once again the FDA fails to do its primary task. In the next president''s work in cleaning out waste, perhaps the FDA will be shut down and a new and more viable office take its place. So far the FDA is not doing its primary task on medical or food fronts.

The FDA is beyond repair.

[patrik1974]

If mothers just used breast milk to feed their babies, the way god intended it to be, formula contamination would be a non issue. Hopefully, this will result in a surge in breast feeding and tolerance to it.

[fabulouslv]

Breastfed babies are healthier, and mother''s who breastfeed are at reduced risk for specific cancers. This is well-documeted research! We are mammals, the milk our bodies produce is made especially for human babies! Breastmilk is a living organism, and formula is just a processed food product, no different from a box of macaroni and with hydrogenated cheese! Make the best choice, support,promote and initiate breastfeeding!

First the FDA says, "there is no threat of contamination in the domestic supply of infant formula," now they are retracting their words! Even a trace amount is too much, we are putting our babies health at stake here! I work for WIC (Womens, Infants and Children) a federally supplemental nutrition program for low-income families administered across the country through grants from USDA. WIC is the biggest supplier of infant formula in the country. More than half of all babies born in the US are on WIC-can you imagine the amount of babies that have come in contact and will come in contact with this contaminated formula? WIC claims to be a big proponent of breastfeeding but fails because of the rebates it gets from formula companies for each can of formula sold. We are compromising the health of our nation and selling our future short!

[cxgabela]

besides all that is already written, dont forget breast feeding helps women loose weight a lot faster!

[harbinger09]

How fake and corrupt is the American watchdog system? After the Chinese melamine deaths the US finds the same chemical in American formulas and without standards already set, takes just a FEW WEEKS to invent a limit and raise it high enough to protect the companies where the chem was found. The corruption? The FDA demands YEARS of studies and safety tests to determine product safety for most chemicals--but to protect a company in trouble, they made sure they set NEW standards for the melamine limit AND produced a baseline in weeks. All to protect business with little regard for human life.

Smart parents should try breast feeding and forgo the chemically tainted--virtually non tested baby formulas. The government for this and toy testing is in the pocket of business--there is NO watchdog for the public anymore. PROTECT YOURSELF.