Melamine In Baby Formula, What U.S. Parents Should Know

Confusion has set in over the FDA's recent announcement it has set standards for safe melamine amounts in baby formula sold in the U.S. 

Just last week the FDA announced that levels of melamine alone or cyanuric acid alone, at or below 1 part per million (ppm) in infant formula do not raise public health concerns. The agency had previously stated in early October that no safe levels of the contaminants in formula could be determined. 

Unknown to the public, the FDA had been conducting tests over the past several months on U.S. made formula. The results came to light in a report by The Associated Press 6 days ago.

The tests found melamine and cyanuric acid, a related chemical, in samples of baby formula made by major U.S. manufacturers: Abbott Labs, maker of Similac; Mead Johnson, maker of Enfamil; and Nestle, maker of Good Start. The three brands comprise 90 percent of all formula sold in the United States.

Both chemicals have been linked to kidney and bladder stones, kidney failure and death most recently in China, where melamine was intentionally added to "watered down" formula sold in the country to increase protein levels.

The FDA insists that the risk of changing a baby's feeding method would be more hazardous than exposure to trace amounts of the contaminants and urged parents not to jump to conclusions. However, medical professionals, members of Congress and consumer advocates warn the "safe" announcement should be questioned given the agency's much criticized conclusion that bisphenol-A (BPA) is safe in food and drink containers.

This leaves a great number of U.S. parents confused about the safety of their baby's formula and potential health effects of the chemical.

Last Wednesday, Daniel J. DeNoon, a senior medical writer for Web MD, posted an in depth FAQ specifically addressing parents' questions regarding the issue, quoting several U.S. medical experts.

At least one U.S. maker of organic baby formula claims to have tested negative for melamine in its "Baby's Only Organic" formulas and "PediaSmart" nutritional beverages.

The manufacturer says on its website "it began testing the products shortly after China infant formula contamination became public." Melamine testing is now part of Nature's One standard testing procedures following each production run of "Baby's Only Organic" and "PediaSmart" products. The company says that "Baby's Only Organic" formulas are manufactured in the U.S.A. with no milk protein or dairy derivatives purchased from China.

Ironically, while parents' questions remain unanswered and proposed formula recalls remain unissued, the FDA Monday issued a release highlighting its "progress" in protecting the country's food supply.

Comments

[Marg3177]

I agree - moms should breastfeed. I did for as long as I could, but I needed to supplement and then only formula feed because my twins needed more milke than I could give them. And I believe organic formula is the next best thing if breast milk doesn't work out.

The other day I was visiting relatives in North Carolina before the holidays and saw a report on the local news station on traces of melamine in baby formula. A couple believed that when they switched their daughter to Enfamil Lipil, she started coughing up blood and developed a 2 inch stomach ulcer. I was surprised to learn that FDA determined that brand of formula tested positive for cyanuric acid, a chemical relative of melamine.

When I went to the FDA webpage www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/melamine/testresults.html, I learned that only one formula maker has tested negative for melamine and cyanuric acid, and they make store brands. PBM Nutritionals makes the Walmart baby formula we use, Parent"s Choice Organic Formula. The name of the company is on the label, which is why I heard of them. I know some people don"t trust generics, but in this case store brand is faring better than the big brands on the FDA melamine and cyanuric tests.

[Christine Escobar - Huffpost Blogger]

I saw that report on the family of the baby girl with the stomach ulcer. That is very unusual in a baby and for her to not be having any more problems after the parents changed the formula, makes you wonder. Let us hope there will not be anymore similar problems as a result of the same brand.

[Checquoline]

Nurse your babies or buy organic formula. It is just too much that our FDA would raise the acceptable level of melamine to whatever level is in the formula. Boycott the companies that won't recall these products.

[Thermodynamics]

Under-reported aspects. i don't have any links - this is from memory.

1. The junk in food is probably impure melamine with other impurities that may be found with overheated melamine. Melamine is made in a reaction vessel with heat. When the vessel is cleaned out the gunk stuck to the sides should go to the dump, but not in China. The impurities can be bad. Think: heated plastic.

2. China has excess capacity for making melamine - they built too many plants. Things have slowed down and now some plants are making melamine just to go in animal feed.

3. Cattle have a special kind of stomach that can take nitrogen from chemicals like powdered urea and process it into protein. Urea is not the best choice. There are some other N compounds that work better in a cow - I cannot remember which. It is legal some places to add nitrogen chemicals to cattle feed. Probably the Chinese are using melamine in animal feed. This is an issue because we get a lot of food from China such as farmed tilapia (fish).

4. During the pet food episode melamine was probably in wheat gluten in the US. Wheat gluten is made by washing the starch out of flour. Nobody does that in the US so it is all imported. Wheat gluten is in most fancy bread products.