http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2008/October/09100801.asp
Chinese melamine crisis prompts call for better tests
09 October 2008 Hepeng Jia/Bejing, China

Analytical instrument makers have said that the Chinese government needs to invest in a systematic program of research to improve testing methods if it is to avoid further problems with food contamination. The calls come after milk powder contaminated with melamine sickened at least 54,000 babies and killed four in China through kidney stones, and made its way into chocolates and biscuits exported around the world.

While the government's food safety watchdog found no traces of melamine in liquid milk during its round of tests in early October, industry experts say that testing methods for food contamination need to be better studied and updated to take advantage of the latest technology. ...

But instrument makers at Analytica China 2008, an analysis device exhibition held in Shanghai between 23 and 25 September, have warned that current testing methods may be inadequate.

Analytical uncertainty
Wang Bing, CEO of Beijing Techmate - which represents Japanese cosmetics firm Shiseido's analysis wing in China, says that the methods currently being used to analyse milk may not detect other contaminants that might also be present.

This is important because the impure industrial melamine added to milk often contains a second compound, cyanuric acid. The two chemicals together can form insoluble crystals - which can lead to the formation of kidney stones and ultimately kidney failure. Melamine alone is less toxic - though prolonged exposure to the compound could also cause health problems.

In addition, Wang says, different technical approaches - such as liquid chromatography and gas chromatography - give quite different results when used to test for melamine. But so far there have been no efforts from either the government or academia to work out why. 'More systematic approaches must be adopted in food contamination tests,' Wang told Chemistry World.

Zhu Min of Perkin Elmer, who is responsible for melamine analysis at the firm, says contamination testing should make better use of the latest technologies. 'Molecular analysis technologies have been mature for 10 years, yet nitrogen levels remain the sole measure used to determine milk's protein content,' Zhu told Chemistry World.

Meanwhile, China's Ministry of Science and Technology posted a note on its website asking members of the public to submit testing methods able to identify the presence of melamine in under 30 minutes. According to media reports, the ministry had received more than 100 solutions by its 3 October deadline.

Toxic economics

Meanwhile, the economics behind the melamine scandal have become clearer. Industrial melamine costs about 12,000 yuan (US$1765) per tonne, much higher than the price of milk - 1200-1800 yuan per tonne. But the practice of adding melamine to milk is profitable because just one gram of melamine per kg of milk is enough to lift the apparent protein content of milk from less than 27 grams of protein per kilogram (the cheapest grade of milk in China) to greater than 31 grams per kilogram - the most expensive grade.

So for 0.012 yuan (0.0018 US cents), producers can illegally boost the price of a litre of milk from 1.2 yuan (17.6 US cents) to 1.8 yuan (26.5 US cents) per kilogram. If the milk is diluted, the resulting profits can be even greater.

According to Chinese media reports, some milk collection stations may also have heated milk to increase the amount of melamine they could dissolve - the compound is only 'slightly soluble' (less than 0.9 grams in 100 grams) in water at room temperature, but around 6 grams will dissolve into 100 grams of water at 100°C.

http://www.nih.gov/news/health/oct2008/niddk-08.htm

Annual Report Targets Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States

A 30 percent increase in chronic kidney disease over the past decade has prompted the U.S. Renal Data System (USRDS) to issue for the first time a separate report documenting the magnitude of the disease, which affects an estimated 27 million Americans and accounts for more than 24 percent of Medicare costs.

Related or not, that's a pretty impressive increase figure. Someone better start asking a lot of questions.

From Singapore. Thursday, October 9, 2008:

http://www.todayonline.com:80/articles/280653.asp
Hot News // Friday, October 10, 2008         
Melamine found in three more China products 
Neo Chai Chin chaichin@mediacorp.com.sg

THREE more products from China have been found tainted with melamine, including one meant for manufacturing use, the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said yesterday.
They are Cadbury Choclairs in the coffee and blueberry flavours, and Panda Dairy Whole Milk Powder.
The AVA gave the assurance that the levels of melamine detected in the tainted products were very low and should not cause ill heath unless consumed in very large quantities.
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It said the Choclairs had melamine concentrations of 21.4 to 92.3 parts per million (ppm) and a 60kg adult can consume between 108 and 292 pieces of the candy daily without suffering from ill effects from the chemical.
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Panda Dairy milk powder — which had melamine levels of 163.8 ppm — was imported in January by a local manufacturer to make chocolate blocks for export. None of the melamine-tainted batch has been used in food production.
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“The milk powder has been sealed in the manufacturer’s warehouse since the suspension on Sept 19, 2008,” said the AVA.
The latest detections bring the number of melamine-tainted products to 13. The AVA said all the tainted products would be destroyed under its supervision.

The AVA has issued a summons to I-Tec Supermart and verbally warned 10 other retailers for selling China-made dairy products after its ban. It will test pet food for melamine after completing tests on consumer food products.

http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/china/melamine-olympic-milk-5434.html

Epoch Times October 9, 2008
Melamine Found in "Olympic Milk"

"The sole supplier of food and beverages for the Beijing Olympics has been caught producing melamine-contaminated milk.

"China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ) found melamine in 31 batches of milk powder made by 20 dairy companies in China, including well-known brands Sanlu, Yalishi, Yili, Mengniu and Sanyuan.

"The Beijing-based Sanyuan Foods Company was awarded sole supply rights for food and beverages during the Beijing Olympics.

"GAQSIQ released the findings of their investigation on September 30, and according to their report melamine was found in three batches of Sanyuan’s high-fiber high-calcium milk powders made on June 23, September 8 and September 11.

"Melamine was also detected in a batch of Sanyuan’s Nanshan Beiyi IGG infant formula produced on September 9.

"Independent Beijing-based Caijing magazine approached the director of Sanyuan’s public affairs department on October 6, but he refused to comment on the melamine contamination.

"The manufacturer of the tainted milk powder, Qianan Sanyuan Foods, is a subsidiary of Sanyuan.

"GAQSIQ found 10.58 mg per kg of melamine in a batch of powder produced by Qianan on August 7.

"Sanyuan’s tainted milk powder has mainly been used in value-added foods, for further dairy processing or production in yogurt, yogurt drinks, cookies, candy, and chocolate.

"This was the first time GAQSIQ has found melamine in Sanyuan products.

"Melamine is an organic compound often combined with formaldehyde to produce melamine resin, a synthetic polymer which is fire resistant and heat tolerant.

"The chemical was not considered toxic until early 2007, when 8000 pets suddenly died in the US. FDA investigations later revealed the animals had been poisoned by mass-produced pet food containing wheat gluten contaminated with melamine.

"GAQSIQ’s September 30 report showed the test results from 265 batches of adult milk powder made by 154 dairy companies before September 14. 

"About 13,000 infants nationwide have been hospitalized with kidney problems and at least three have died after drinking baby formula tainted with melamine, a toxic chemical added to raw milk to raise its apparent protein content.

"The original supplier of dairy products for the 2008 Beijing Olympic was Yili Group, but Yili was later turned down by the Beijing Olympic Committee after its products failed quality tests.

"Until the September 30 report Sanyuan was the only listed dairy producer that had avoided being associated with China's milk contamination scandal."

http://www.caribbeanworldnews.com/middle_top_news_detail.php?mid=1527

Guyana, Suriname Ban Chinese Milk Products
CARIBWORLDNEWS.COM, NY - 5 Oct 2008
CaribWorldNews, GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Mon. Oct. 6, 2008: Guyana and Suriname have both placed a ban on Chinese dairy products following a world-wide alert

Edited to add *GUYANA
Population: 770,794 (CIA World Factbook 2008)
67 countries worldwide ban Chinese dairy products as of October 9, 2008
46.75 percent of all the people in the world have now blocked import of Chinese milk products or Chinese food imports

With the amount of countries growing ever bigger will the US be the only country that continues to import the milk products etc. from there and look the other way just in case anyone here gets hurt from it? IMO

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=363607

Bernama.com Malaysia October 10, 2008

Taro Biscuits Found To Contain Melamine Above Permissible Level

"The Health Ministry Thursday ordered the Taro brand biscuit produced by Bairong to be withdrawn from the market with immediate effect after an analysis found it to contain melamine above the permissible level.

"The ministry's food quality and safety division director Noraini Mohd Othman in a statement Thursday said the product contained above the 75 ppm (parts per million) level of melamine that is permitted.

"The statement added that 12 products analysed by the division found them to meet the ministry's standard for melamine content,

"They are Fruit Jelly Stick (Motion), Genuine Pearl Jelly (Tian Tian), Lobster Peanut Crisp (Cap Layang), 888 (Egg & Milk Filling) (Vigor 888), Rice Crackers (Wang Wang), Biscuit Sticks (Four Seas). Mini Poppers Chocolate Flavoured (Walls), White Coffee 3-in-1 (Dali Coffee Beverage), Apple Sandwich Biscuits (Bairong), Colourfull Party (Cherry & Apple Biscuits) (Bairong), Almond Cakes (Fu Die Lai) and Curtes Chocolate (Giff)."