Here, the FDA answers questions about melamine:

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/melamqa.html

5CatMom
₌^..^₌

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20081007-92106.html

AsiaOne News Singapore October 7, 2008

Melamine testing for pet food

"Pet food and livestock feed here will undergo melamine tests, according to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA).


"AVA spokesman Goh Shih Yong told my paper that the agency will move on to animal food after it finishes testing its samples of human food products.

"He said: "We want to check if there's any adulteration in other protein-related substances.""

---

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/07/asia/AS-Vietnam-Tainted-Milk.php

International Herald Tribune October 7, 2008

Vietnam finds tainted milk from China


"Melamine contamination has been found in 23 milk products imported into Vietnam from China, officials said Tuesday, intensifying consumer worries about tainted milk products.

"Five more products tested positive for the industrial chemical, which is usually used in making plastics and fertilizers. So far authorities have found 23 contaminated products after testing 400 samples of milk and milk products, Vietnam's vice minister of health Cao Minh Quang said.

"About 300 tons of products, mostly imported from China, have been recalled, said the ministry's chief inspector, Tran Quang Trung."

---

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jsH_So-km9lAdu_m8cO2QY19I2zA

AFP October 7, 2008

China declines to say how many children affected in milk scandal

""China on Tuesday declined to release updated figures revealing how many children have been affected by the tainted milk scandal, as it attempted to boost confidence in its food safety standards.

"The health ministry said it had new statistics showing how many babies were believed to have been left ill by the crisis, but did not release the data and gave no indication if or when it would make the latest information public.

""We've not released the latest number of cases because it is not an infectious disease, so it's not absolutely necessary for us to announce it to the public," a health ministry spokesman told AFP.

"The World Health Organisation in Beijing said it had not been informed of the updated data either.

"The foreign ministry said it was not in a position to make the figures public.

""We have no authority to make the health ministry release the figure. They are the department in charge," said a foreign ministry spokesman."

Cabbage and other leafy greens, along with mushrooms, seem to accumulate a lot of melamine from what I have read. 

As for the FDA info- mercial----pathetic!   No need to worry until we stop peeing!  Gee, is that too late?  And why would they think other proteins would not be contaminated?  Anyone???  I am pulling out my hair with frustration at the ineptitude and disregard for human and animal health!  Is there any hope left at all?

 

Yes.  And so does this from the FDA babble page:
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"Will FDA's Safety and Risk Assessment of Melamine and Melamine-Related Compounds in human foods be subject to peer review?
FDA is identifying a group of experts to convene a scientific advisory board that will be charged with reviewing the risk assessment. This group will also be asked to contribute to future scientific analysis related to the risk of melamine and melamine-related compounds to humans and animals."
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So, in other words, in the mean time, until any more study or review is done, go ahead and eat it!!!!!  I will write and ask their level of inspection and analysis method.  I just can not take this government's incompetence and dereliction of duty anymore.  I really feel like I can't take it.  Maybe my food supply has fed a toxic personality---but I am feeling pretty toxic at this point.

DMS,

Very good job.  I hope they get a couple of million comments. 

We need to post that comment link all over, so that many others will see it.

5CatMom
₌^..^₌

From Russia:
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=13147127&PageNum=0
Over 2 tonnes of dry milk from China found in Tomsk
[Pulled post because duplicated menusux post a couple pages back. (Sorry.
Thread is getting long and dates cross over.)]



From the Phillippines:

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com:80/nation/10/07/08/bfad-expand-safety-tests-non-dairy-products
BFAD to expand safety tests to non-dairy products
by CARMELA FONBUENA, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak | 10/07/2008 7:44 PM

Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) chief Leticia Gutierrez has asked food manufacturing companies that use ingredients from China to submit to the bureau a complete list of their raw materials

House committee on agriculture and food chairman Palawan Rep. Abraham Mitra expressed concern over the possibility that China would dump its export surpluses to the Philippines because of the US financial crisis.
With the US economic slowdown and reduced consumer spending, the US, a major trade partner of China, is expected to reduce its food imports.

Polig said they will write the manufacturing companies to inform them of the new procedure of BFAD on full disclosure of raw materials used in food products

I also brought up a point in my comment that JJ and others of us have found hard to swallow.  Why are we importing dairy (and other proteins and goods) products from China when we, ourselves, are an exporter.  We export to Mexico.  Of course we all know the answer, but I thought it was still worth raising.  $$$$$$$  This system is so out of whack in every way. Gee, if they really want to save the environment, save money on theoretical inspections, and not exploit foreign workers, they could just let American companies provide the products.  How did it get so convoluted and twisted?  Bring the food all the way from China when we have it right here, and are sending it to Mexico,etc.....this isn't efficient or even remotely sensible.   Now it's downright dangerous.