Food fraud with melamine and global implications
In: Chemical hazards in foods of animal originVeterinarians Without Borders, c/o Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
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The Chinese milk scandal of 2008 involved deliberate adulteration of milk with the synthetic chemical melamine to exaggerate its nitrogen and thereby apparent protein content. This practice was officially brought to the attention of Chinese authorities in September 2008, although evidence suggests that the practice had been ongoing for some time. It was milk powder from State-owned Sanlu, China’s largest milk powder manufacturer and budget segment market leader, which demonstrated the highest levels of contamination. But it was not the only company involved.
Babies and infants are most susceptible to melamine toxicity, by the formation of urinary tract concretions, which are difficult to diagnose, but potentially fatal. Eleven babies are known to have died and some 294,000 children suffered from urinary tract stones following this practice. Despite official Chinese notification that all contaminated products had been destroyed in September 2008, and subsequent international import bans on Chinese milk products and infant formula, there is evidence that melamine-contaminated milk had silently reached the African continent. Of 49 representative branded and black market milk powder samples collected in the East African port city of Dar-es-Salaam between the 23rd of October and the 17th of December 2008, three (6%) contained measurable concentrations of melamine ranging between 0.5 to 5.5 mg/kg milk powder. Surprisingly, these positive samples were internationally branded milk powders, which may reflect the global purchasing practices of multinational milk powder product manufacturers. The significance of milk imports and melamine ingestion for African infants, the global implications of food fraud of this nature and whether or not this scandal, or one like it, could have been prevented are discussed.