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Food Safety: Was melamine contamination of milk ordered by the Chinese governement?

By Steve Lombardi

<p> </p> <p>The <a href="http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/359/26/2745">New England Journal of Medicine speaks on the issue of food contaminated with melamine</a>. Is globalization literally killing us?</p> <p> </p> <p>In this article the question of why melamine might be intentionally added to foods, like infant formula is discussed. Here is an excerpt.</p> <blockquote> <p>“But why would one intentionally add a nonnutritious substance such as melamine to food? Nitrogen content has long been used as a surrogate for assessing the protein content of foods, and melamine contains a substantial amount of nitrogen — 66% by mass. Before the current melamine disaster, the marked dilution of infant formula in China had resulted in marasmus in some infants,<a href="http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/359/26/2745#R1#R1">1</a> which led to government directives to increase the protein content of such preparations or risk severe penalties. Thus, it is possible that the adulteration was conceived in response to a well-intentioned government directive. The fact that melamine could increase the apparent protein content and, furthermore, make the product look milky may have been irresistible to those who would adulterate. “</p> </blockquote> <p>In addition the author concludes,</p> <blockquote> <p>“The bottom line, however, is that nobody knows the true extent of the present epidemic or the risks to come. No more deaths have been reported since the Chinese government and the international public health community became aware of the problem. Yet the long-term health effects remain unknown. “</p> </blockquote> <p>Lombardi Law Firm has extensively discussed melamine contamination in food, especially infant formula and I believe this is a very important article for you to review.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p><a href="http://desmoines.injuryboard.com/defective-and-dangerous-products/food-safety-was-melamine-contamination-of-milk-ordered-by-the-chinese-governement.aspx?googleid=253998">Originally posted</a> at <a href="http://www.InjuryBoard.com">InjuryBoard</a> by <a href="http://www.injuryboard.com/member-profiles/Steve-Lombardi">Steve Lombardi</a>

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on December 29, 2008 (boomark / email).