(Melamine Suspected) Chinese Officials Say Baby Formula Tied to Kidney Stones

[JJ]

Thx for the updated list 3cat. This link also will be updating as more food is recalled. Gosh the list has grown from just about 3 days ago. That Dreyers sounds so similar to Breyers ice cream sold in the US.

[3catkidneyfailure]

Dreyers is also a US brand of ice cream in the Southwest. I don't know that it's the same, however.

These are the only master lists I can find so far. I wish WHO would aggregate them, too, with testing country
and melamine amounts claimed to be found, like the Hong Kong Centre listings.

[Carol]

Is this posted here anyhwere???

http://www.who.int/foodsafety/fs_management/Melamine.pdf


World Health Organization
Melamine and Cyanuric acid:
Toxicity, Preliminary Risk Assessment and Guidance on Levels in Food
25 September 2008

[menusux]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i1PW8Su6EECm-m22gV1dABkLdHJQD93IAIJ80

Associated Press October 2, 2008

Taiwan says melamine found in Nestle milk powders

"Tests in Taiwan have found small amounts of the industrial chemical melamine in milk powders produced in China by the European food giant Nestle, and those products are being withdrawn, Taiwan's health minister said Thursday.

"The announcement came a day after a dairy at the heart of the tainted milk scandal in China was targeted in a lawsuit by the parents of a toddler who developed kidney stones after drinking infant formula with melamine, an attorney said.

"Taiwan Health Minister Yeh Ching-chuan said milk powders that Nestle produced in Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China were found to contain between 0.3 and 0.85 parts per million of melamine.

""Such minor doses of melamine will not affect people's health ... but we will take them off shelves according to our recommended procedures," he said.

"Liang Chia-jui, a Nestle spokesman in Taipei, said the company will agree to the recall. Nestle has taken out half-page newspaper advertisements to assure Taiwanese consumers of the safety of its milk products over the past two weeks.

"Yeh said Taiwan will confer with food safety experts from the United States, Japan, Europe and the World Health Organization to decide on whether to permit milk products containing traces of the chemical.

""We need to have a rational discussion on the matter because it also affects other countries," he said.

"Liang said melamine was never added to any Nestle milk products as an additive, pointing out that food experts maintain that traces of the chemical are widely found in the food chain. He insisted the milk powders produced in Heilongjiang are safe.



http://www.flex-news-food.com/pages/19485/Belgium/Chemical/China/Food-Safety/belgium-high-levels-melamine-found-chinese-white-rabbit-sweets.html

Flex News October 2, 2008

Belgium: High levels of Melamine Found in Chinese 'White Rabbit' Sweets

"Belgium has become the latest country to find China-made sweets contaminated with high levels of melamine.

"AFSCA, the Belgian Food Safety Agency, confirmed it had detected levels of the industrial chemical amounting to 11.24 parts per million (ppm) - more than four times above the legal limit of 2.5ppm -  in a sample of White Rabbit candy."



http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/02/europe/EU-Austria-Melamine-Milkshake.php

International Herald Tribune|Associated Press Otober 2, 2008

Melamine found in restaurant milkshake in Austria

"A nonthreatening amount of melamine has been found in a milkshake at a Chinese restaurant in southern Austria, the Health Ministry said Thursday.

"Austrian authorities inspecting random samples found a small amount of the substance in a milkshake at a restaurant in Graz.

"The milkshake had not been sold to a customers, and no one was sickened by it, the ministry said. It came from a Chinese store in Vienna and is off the market."

[menusux]

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/10/02/08/independent-lab-confirms-eight-products-contaminated-melamine

ABS-CBN News (Philippines) October 2, 2008

Independent lab confirms eight products contaminated with melamine

"An independent testing center has found out that eight food products, including a popular brand of processed meat and an iced drink sold by a popular coffee shop, have tested positive for melamine contamination.

"ABS-CBN News on Thursday obtained exclusively the test results from the independent laboratory Progressive Laboratories (Qualibet Testing Center) in Quezon City, which tested 14 China-made products for possible melamine contamination.

"Out of 14 products tested, eight were positive for melamine.

"The testing center has no authority to release the brand names of the products tainted with melamine. It, however, said that these include two brands of milk candies, a brand of chocolate, a brand of milk powder for pregnant women and a brand of repacked coffee creamer used in restaurants.

"Also included in the list are two brands of processed meats -- one for a luncheon meat and another for corned beef.

"All of the products tested came from China.

"The laboratory said the results will be sent to the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) on Friday.

"Then China wanted to subsititute protein, so they used melamine," Progressive Laboratories owner Pinky Tobiano said.

"ABS-CBN News asked the laboratory to test the two meat products again. The results of the second test were similar to the first.

"This proves canned products also have melamine contamination... some of them, not all," Tobiano said while showing the test results to ABS-CBN News.

"Tobiano said the meats used in making the canned products possibly came from livestock that were given melamine-tainted feeds.

"Recently, samples of whey powder and skimmed milk replacer, which are mixed into livestock feed, also tested positive for melamine after these were seized from a supplier.

"A brand of iced coffee shake from a popular coffee chain also tested positive from melamine, based on more than a hundred tests by the laboratory.

"So when they arrive in the Philippines. And the milk that they source is from China. Though it may be repacked in the United States or in New Zealand, the raw materials are not from them," she added.

"The BFAD said it will not yet announce the names of the melamine-contaminated products tested by Progressive Laboratories, since the government did not commission the private laboratory."

So we see findings here of melamine in canned meat from China.

[3catkidneyfailure]

http://afp.google.com:80/article/ALeqM5gudwL9qxisD9tRW03dC3vyG0GtUQ

China halts dairy exports amid health scandal: Japanese official
9 hours ago

BEIJING (AFP) — China has vowed to halt dairy exports until it can eliminate the threat from tainted milk that has sickened thousands in China and led to product recalls worldwide, a Japanese official said Thursday.
The promise was made during a briefing by China for foreign diplomats from several countries in Beijing on Tuesday, the government official revealed to AFP.
"The point made there was that the Chinese government has handled the matter promptly and firmly and has taken measures to halt exports of dairy products, which will not be resumed until their safety is fully confirmed ...
The official's account of the briefing could not be immediately confirmed by AFP as Chinese government offices and many embassies were closed for a week-long holiday.

the Chinese government has handled the matter promptly and firmly -- under what standard of human decency? I don't want
my family's health depending on food adulterations being handled this way.

[straybaby]

China has vowed to halt dairy exports until it can eliminate the threat from tainted milk that has sickened thousands in China and led to product recalls worldwide, a Japanese official said Thursday.

Has "vowed" to halt them?! WTF?! They should have stopped immediately or at  least when they realized it was widespread through their industry!

[3catkidneyfailure]

The report's not confirmed yet. So it may not be true at all.
Apparently not a matter important enough to interrupt a week long holiday.
But I would like to see too a special category and safety inspection treatment for all Chinese exports
imports, I guess would be better, especially food and drugs, paid for by the manufacturers and importers who
chose to use them in the good old US.

[DMS]

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/10/02/08/independent-lab-confirms-eight-products-contaminated-melamine

ABS-CBN News (Philippines) October 2, 2008

Independent lab confirms eight products contaminated with melamine

"An independent testing center has found out that eight food products, including a popular brand of processed meat and an iced drink sold by a popular coffee shop, have tested positive for melamine contamination.

So we see findings here of melamine in canned meat from China.

I notice here that some meat is contaminated and it reminded me of a link I saw while researching lactoferrin, which was found to be contaminated in New Zealand.  Not sure if it is related, but here it is:

http://www.nutraingredients.com/Industry/DMV-signs-agreement-with-US-meat-packers

Lactoferrin ingredients giant DMV International announced this week a joint venture agreement with US beef packing company Farmland National Beef Packing Company L.P.

From August 2nd Farmland National Beef Packing Company L.P and DMV USA will manufacture and market activated lactoferrin, a new food safety technology that protects consumers from harmful bacteria that may be found in meat.

The Farmland-DMV joint venture holds the worldwide exclusive rights to activated lactoferrin for use in food safety. Lactoferrin is a protein found in milk and has been shown to be important in infant nutrition, nutrient transport and support of the immune system. Activated lactoferrin is a formulation of lactoferrin that has been shown to provide fresh meat with an added level of protection from pathogenic bacteria, including E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Campylobacter, by preventing microbial attachment and inhibiting growth.
**************************************
And just as an aside, I will mention that some lactoferrin is genetically engineered.

[5CatMom]

October 2, 2008

""Taiwan Health Minister Yeh Ching-chuan said milk powders that Nestle produced in Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China were found to contain between 0.3 and 0.85 parts per million of melamine.

We need to have a rational discussion on the matter because it also affects other countries," he said.""

Nestle says:

""Such minor doses of melamine will not affect people's health ... but we will take them off shelves according to our recommended procedures," he said.""

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/10/02/172768ssiataintedmilk_ap.html

5CatMom
₌ ^..^₌

[Carol]

I think this is state #3...
http://www.ktka.com/news/2008/oct/02/tainted_candy_turns_topeka_store/
Tainted candy turns up in Topeka store

[menusux]

http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=754031

eTaiwan News October 2, 2008

DOH bans six Nestle products in Taiwan

"The Department of Health banned six Nestle milk powders yesterday after tests found traces of the toxic chemical melamine.
The four powders sold under the Klim brand and two from Nestle itself were made in the Chinese province of Heilongjiang by Shuangcheng Nestle.

"Tests showed small amounts of melamine, ranging from 0.06 to 0.854 parts per million, the health department said.

"Later, the company held a news conference protesting the government's changing standards. The amounts of the chemical found were far lower than the level the European Union considered dangerous to health, said Nestle Taiwan spokesman Liang Chia-juei.

"Speaking in front of a banner reading "Klim is 100 percent safe," Liang said the company would lose an estimated NT$1 billion worldwide since the beginning of the scare until the year-end."

[3catkidneyfailure]

http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news-1/Chronic-Kidney-Disease-Growing-Globally-22854-1/

Chronic Kidney Disease Growing Globally - Taiwanese study published in The Lancet, June 2008


This study from Taiwan may have absolutely nothing to do with melamine consumption. If fact, it's likely
due to increased global obesity causing more diabetes, causing, in turn, chronic kidney disease and renal failure. But it
seems no one knows exactly the long term health effects of melamine consumption on humans. And consuming melamine
can't be a good thing for any individual who is unfortunate enough to already have diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
So because it's from Taiwan and published in 2008, I offer it for your consideration.

[5CatMom]

Melamine found in Russia:

"MOSCOW — Russian news agencies say food inspectors have found nearly two tons of Chinese dry milk believed to be contaminated with melamine.

Interfax reports that inspectors have found more than 1,000 items containing Chinese-dairy products around the country."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-03-china-contaminatedmilk_N.htm?csp=34

5CatMom
₌^..^₌

[purringfur]

I think the FDA could learn a little here from how the Philippines is handling the poisoned milk products...

From 5cat's link just above:

"Philippine Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said the government's action was meant to protect the public and should not ruffle ties with China, one of the country's main trading partners."

and

"Conducting due diligence to protect the consumer is never an overreaction. We'd rather overreact than underreact because it's the health and safety of the consumers that are paramount," he said.

"The new regulations require exporters from such countries as Australia and New Zealand to disclose where their milk came from before shipping to the Philippines. If an exporter fails to make a full disclosure, officials will assume the product came from China and ban it, Duque said.  [Emphasis mine.]
..................

And, so WHAT if China's feathers are ruffled!  They shipped POISONED PRODUCTS around the world!  China should be banned from the WTO for selling poisoned foods/products and killing people around the world.  Isn't it a punishable crime to poison and kill people?  The poisons were added DELIBERATELY!   

POISON FOR PROFIT!  Is that the Chinese manufacturers' motto?