MELAMINE IN BABY FORMULA. SOME BRANDS ARE OK?

Today’s mommies who have chosen to breast-feed baby will have no concern about the melamine threat. For those of you dear gals who have found it a physical or financial necessity to feed baby a formula – you will wish to keep an eye on the news about melamine. Please check with your pediatrician immediately since our beloved FDA does not always react in a timely manner.

As early as May 3, 2007, the Associated Press reported the following:
“Melamine is an organic compound that, when combined with formaldehyde, produces a fire- and heat-resistant resin. Melamine is used to make plastics including floor tiles, whiteboards, and kitchenware. Melamine was considered non- or minimally toxic until veterinary scientists determined that it was the cause of possibly thousands of dog and cat renal (kidney) failures and deaths after pet food was contaminated with the industrial chemical. Melamine has also been recently discovered in livestock feed that more than a million hogs and chickens are believed to have eaten.”

The Associated Press then went on to explain what steps the federal government is taking to protect the American food supply.

“The FDA has announced that it has created a senior position to supervise the agency’s regulation of food safety. The assistant commissioner of food safety-the ‘food safety czar’-will set up a food safety strategy so the FDA can head off a crisis before it occurs.
And further wrote:

“The FDA will also begin testing six imported food ingredients-wheat and corn glutens, rice, soy proteins, corn meal, and rice bran-for melamine. In addition, the agency plans to test a variety of foods and animal feed to determine the extent of the melamine contamination. Congress has started investigating how the FDA polices food imports. Legislative proposals include the creation of one food safety agency.

“The FDA has announced that it has created a senior position to supervise the agency’s regulation of food safety. The assistant commissioner of food safety-the “food safety czar”-will set up a food safety strategy so the FDA can head off a crisis before it occurs.

“The FDA will also begin testing six imported food ingredients-wheat and corn glutens, rice, soy proteins, corn meal, and rice bran-for melamine. In addition, the agency plans to test a variety of foods and animal feed to determine the extent of the melamine contamination.

“Congress has started investigating how the FDA polices food imports. Legislative proposals include the creation of one food safety agency.

The Associated Press then asked this definitive question and answered as follows:
How will consumers be affected by the melamine contamination?

Since many pet food brands were recalled because of the melamine contamination, pet food owners are opting to buy organic and premium pet food, with some opting to make their own pet food.

That was a year and a half ago. Here’s the news today!
Reuters said on Wednesday, November 26, 2008:
“WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Several makers of infant formula sold in the United States defended their products on Wednesday, saying tests had not found the kidney-damaging chemical melamine in their products.

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it had found trace amounts of the industrial chemical in one sample of formula. Although the FDA said the low level posed no risk, reports of the finding caused alarm among parents. (They did not state in that particular report the name of the offender.)

“The FDA has confirmed with Mead Johnson that melamine was not found in any of our products they tested,” said Pete Paradossi, spokesman for the Bristol-Myers Squibb unit, which markets several types of Enfamil-branded formula.

“Other companies had no comment on the FDA’s findings but said their own tests did not detect the chemical.
“Hain Celestial Group Inc said its tests found no melamine or a related by-product, cyanuric acid, in its Earth’s Best Organic formula.

“Privately held PBM Nutritionals, which makes store-brand formula, said the FDA had not told the company of any finding of melamine in its formula products.
‘Our tests have not detected melamine,’ PBM spokesman Joe Shields said.

“Other U.S.-approved makers of milk-based baby formula include Abbott Nutrition and Nestle USA. Neither company returned e-mails and phone calls seeking comment. Another maker, Solus Products, could not be reached.

“On Tuesday, the FDA said it began using a more sensitive testing process to detect melamine after the chemical was found widely in formula in China. Thousands of Chinese children were sickened and several died.”

That is the latest news on this tragic affair of poison in baby food. I hope that all of you who buy commercial baby formula will keep news about melamine on your list to continually check on. Stay in touch with your pediatrician to see what new information he or she may have in this regard.

With love and caring from Gramma Bugpuddles