Inside China Today

New melamine safety standards ignores long term effects.

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After the release by the Chinese Ministry of Health on October 8 of safe levels of melamine contents in dairy products, a Yale University professor argues that comments by Chinese food expert Chen Junshi that melamine content below the published level in milk powder will not affect babies’ health is unfounded, and pointed out that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has effectively issued a zero-tolerance to melamine content in baby formula.

Chen Junshi  explained the newly set safety levels by referring to standards set by other countries, pointing to Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and EU nations who have all set melamine safety levels in infant formula at below 1mg/kg. In the United States a safety margin has not be set by the FDA for infant food and has set a zero tolerance to melamine in infant formula.

While melamine has only been found in food produced in China so far, countries around the world have nonetheless set safety standards for the chemical. Dr Hsu suggests that this is because of the widespread melamine contamination of food in China including diary, confectionary, seafood, meat and vegetable, which are imported by countries like the US, if there is a zero tolerance to the chemical, it would equate to a total ban of Chinese made food.

Domestically in China, the public has condemned the move by the communist regime to set safety standards as permitting chronic murder , but communist officials have explained that a zero-tolerance approach is not possible as melamine can enter food streams through the environment and food packaging.