Codex Sets International Melamine Levels

GENEVAThe Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) announced formal international limits for melamine allowed in food, infant formula and animal feed during its meeting on July 6, 2010. The maximum amount of melamine allowed in powdered infant formula is 1 mg/kg and the amount of the chemical allowed in other foods and animal feed is 2.5 mg/kg.

"Establishment of maximum levels will help governments differentiate between low levels of unavoidable melamine occurrence that do not cause health problems, and deliberate adulterationthereby protecting public health without unnecessary impediments to international trade, said Martijn Weijtens, Chair of the Codex Committee on contaminants in foods. While not legally binding, the new levels allow countries to refuse to allow the importation of products with excessive levels of melamine.

In 2008, the Chinese food industry was rocked by a scandal involving the adulteration of a variety of dairy-related products with the industrial compound melamine. Melamine is used in plastics and fertilizer due to its very high nitrogen levels, but in 2008 it was used by certain Chinese dairy manufacturers because it makes certain dairy products appear to be more protein-rich in standard nutrition tests. The scandal sickened more than 300,000 people and killed six children. It also bankrupted Sanlu, Chinas largest dairy company, caused worldwide recalls of products that used the tainted dairy ingredients, and did tremendous damage to the credibility of the Chinese dairy industry. It also resulted in the execution of two top-level Chinese food-industry executives who were implicated.