In 2007, pet food manufactured in China was contaminated with melamine, a byproduct of plastics manufacturing. This chemical, which mimics protein, caused fatal kidney disease and kidney stones. Several pet illnesses and deaths were reported in the United States, which prompted an investigation into pet foods coming from China.
Now, another scandal has arisen in China with the findings of melamine in infant formulas. As of this past week, over 54,000 infants have become ill from ingesting melamine-contaminated formula, 12,900 are currently hospitalized, and four infants have died from kidney failure. It is estimated that 20 percent of all infant formulas in China contain melamine, which was used to raise protein-levels in milk to reach government standards. Contamination has also been found in liquid milk, frozen yogurt dessert and in coffee drinks.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization has issued a release stating that “countries should closely monitor their markets,” because melamine-contaminated products could reach other countries via “formal and informal trade.” This follows reports of finding imported melamine-contaminated products in several countries over the last two weeks.
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