Crying Over Spoiled Milk: The Melamine Scare

Words by Katherine C. Eustaquio
Published in Action & Fitness Magazine November-December 2008 issue


I sat there horrified as I watched my friend eat two pieces of Chinese milk candy. I knew I just had to warn him: “Wag Ryan! Baka maging porcelain ka!” Okay, so consuming melamine-laced products won’t turn you into porcelain. But if this chemical is primarily used to make plastics, fertilizers, and fire resistant materials, just imagine what harm it can do to your body if you ingest it.

The melamine scandal broke last September when Chinese media reported that four infants have died and more than 54,000 children in Mainland, China, have been diagnosed with kidney ailments after being fed with melamine-contaminated milk. According to the reports, the chemical was fraudulently added by milk suppliers who wanted to increase their output by diluting raw milk and adding melamine.
With the chemical’s high nitrogen content, the melamine-laced milk appeared to have a higher protein content measured through standard tests. The rest of the world was shocked when the news broke that melamine was found in powdered milk, chocolate bars, yogurt, coffee and other products that used contaminated milk from China.

Hysteria engulfed nearby countries and resulted in the banning of Chinese milk and dairy products. It is indeed frightening to know that the food (and its byproducts) we all consider being the greatest source of the essential nutrients growing kids need may now contain the deadly chemical.

In effect, the public has become more cautious of milk and dairy products from China. But before we make hasty assumptions let’s first talk about what melamine really is and why it’s not really an alien term.


What is Melamine?

Most of us raise our eyebrows in alarm at the sight of imported Chinese goods—dairy products or not—and have grown skeptical about their content almost to a fault. With the large number of infants and children suffering from the melamine contamination, who could blame us? But melamine is not exactly an alien term. It has been around for years—not in food though—and we encounter this chemical every day in our very homes.

Melamine is “an organic base chemical most commonly found in the form of white crystals rich in nitrogen.” It is often combined with formaldehyde to produce melamine resin and is primarily used in the production of floor tiles, kitchenware, wall coverings, furniture and fabrics that are highly resistant to heat, chemicals, and moisture. These products are non-toxic and non-allergic and won’t cause poisoning. While physical contact with melamine may cause skin and eye irritations, these will quickly subside.

Melamine is perfectly safe when used for its intended external purposes. Ingesting melamine in large and concentrated amount is another story—and a rather deadly story.


The Effects of Melamine

At present, there are no studies made on the direct effects of melamine in the human body. The World Health Organization, however, reports that melamine alone causes bladder stones in animal tests. When you combine the chemical 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.”

Animal studies have shown that high doses of melamine cause inflammation of the urinary bladder and formation of bladder stones and crystals in the urine. Melamine was also found to have carcinogenic effects on animals, but due to the lack of studies and evidence, its carcinogenic risk and/or effects on human have yet to be determined.

In 2007, gluten and rice protein concentrate exported from China, which was used to manufacture pet food in the United States, were found to contain melamine. This caused a large number of pet deaths due to kidney failure.

Melamine is an industrial chemical, not a raw food material and definitely not a food additive. While there are many chemicals that should not be found in food, melamine was not considered to be one of them prior to the milk scandal. But in cases where minimal amounts of melamine was found in food, experts said that it might be the result of an accidental contamination through packaging, surfaces or fertilizers used by suppliers that may contain the chemical.


Symptoms of Melamine Contamination

Melamine poisoning in infants and children can be easily determined because their diet consists mostly of milk and dairy products. And because their internal organs and immune system are not yet fully developed, they cannot release harmful substances through their urine. This explains the death of four babies and the 54,000 children diagnosed with kidney ailments.

So what are the signs of melamine poisoning? WHO states that the following symptoms have been observed in infants and children affected by the melamine-laced milk.

• Unexplained crying in infants, especially when urinating, possible vomiting
• Macroscopic or microscopic haematuria (blood in the urine)
• Acute obstructive renal failure:
• Oliguria - excretion of an abnormally small amount of urine
• Anuria - partial or total failure of the kidneys to secrete urine
• Stones discharged while passing urine. For example, a baby boy with urethral obstruction with stones normally has dysuria (difficult or painful urination)
• Irritability, high blood pressure, edema (abnormal accumulation of fluid in cells, tissues, or cavities of the body, resulting in swelling), painful when knocked on kidney area
• Unexplained fever arising from urinary tract infections/bacteraemia secondary to urine stasis resulting from obstruction.

Treatment for Symptoms

Once these symptoms start to manifest, the first step is to immediately stop the consumption of melamine-laced products. Go to the nearest hospital and consult your doctor. Get a series of clinical tests to determine possible melamine poisoning. There are many clinical treatments available today, depending on the effects of melamine on the kidneys. According to WHO, treatments may include infusion of fluids and urine alkalinization, correction of electrolyte and acid-base disturbance, haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, or surgical removal of kidney stones.

Actions Taken by the Panic-stricken World

The milk scandal has reached as far as Europe, and countries all over the world have pulled out and banned all milk and dairy products from China. In an attempt to control the damage done, China has set limits for melamine in their milk. Wang Xuening, deputy director general of the health ministry’s health supervision bureau, said that the maximum amount of melamine allowed in baby formula is one milligram per kilogram, while the limit for liquid milk and other dairy product is 2.5 milligrams per kilogram.

WHO expert Peter Ben Embarek said that countries including Hong Kong, New Zealand, and members of the European Union have set limits for melamine only recently. Embarek also added that since there are billions of chemical products that are not normally found in food, it is impossible to set a limit for each.

In the Philippines, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero has filed Senate Bill 2670, amending the National Dairy Development Act of 1995 to boost the development of the local dairy industry and tighten the regulation of imported milk products.


The Afterthought

I remember feigning sleep (or sleeping early) as a kid so I won’t have to finish my tall glass of milk before bedtime. As a result, my parents were forced to buy sweetened cereals (think Coco Crunch, Honey Stars, and Fruit Loops) so I would at least have milk in my diet. I’m not lactose intolerant, but since I couldn’t stand powdered milk, fresh milk is my best option. I even put milk on my scrambled eggs for that extra creamy goodness.

We all grew up watching commercials and reading books that tell me all the same thing: drink your milk, it’s good for you. The thought of a deadly chemical lurking in an innocent glass of milk never occurred to me. While I’m absolutely aware that most children hate drinking milk, I never thought that the day would come that even parents would be terrified to have their children touch it.

Our trust in imported Chinese goods—dairy products or not—may take a year or more to be restored. While the milk crisis is yet to be solved and people are still stiff scared about melamine-laced products, public vigilance is our best defense against greedy milk suppliers who, I’ll bet, won’t let their own children touch their contaminated products.