Recently, New Codex Maximum melamine level in food and animal feed were approved by Codex Alimentarius Commission in July 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland. The maximum amount of melamine allowed in powdered infant formula is 1 mg/kg and in other foods and animal feed is 2.5 mg/kg.

In the past few years, there were reports of the incidents of melamine contaminations in milk containing products, dairy and non-dairy products manufactured as well as pet feed in China. The consumptions of melamine contaminated infant food formula caused severe health effect in   many Chinese infant and young children, among which there were six deaths (67). It was also reported that melamine was found in pet feed manufactured in China and exported to the United States of America, and led to the death of a many dogs and cats due to kidney failure.

What is melamine?

According to FAO short explanation, Melamine is  chemical used in a variety of industrial processes ,including the manufacture of plastics used for dishware and kitchenware, and can coatings - and traces of it unavoidably get into food by contact without causing health problems.

It was described that Melamine is toxic at high level.  However, it were lately reported as mentioned above that such levels of melamine were contaminated in infant formula, milk powder and pet food due to its deliberate and illegal addition to increase the apparent protein content of these products. Babies and children died as a result and hundreds of thousands became seriously ill.

“Establishment of maximum levels will help governments differentiate between low levels of unavoidable melamine occurrence that do not cause health problems, and deliberate adulteration – thereby protecting public health without unnecessary impediments to international trade,” said Martijn Weijtens, chair of the Commission’s committee on contaminants in foods.

Source: http://www.who.int/foodsafety/fs_management/infosan_events/en/index.html

http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/43719/icode

CX/CF 10/4/5