CDC melamine information page

On Monday, September 29, 2008 at 10:30 am I called the CDC. Veronica answered and I asked her if she could tell me about the effects of eating melamine. She transferred me to Nicole. Nicole looked up my question and a few seconds later said "The CDC has no information about melamine in our files to give to callers."

At the end of the call, I got a recorded survey asking if I would leave my phone number and if I would agree to let someone call me back to follow up on the call; probably about the service of the operators. It was an automated survey. I gave my number and permission to call but I never heard back, unless they called and I missed the call. (Update: they did call back and I answered their questions about the "service" at the CDC, and let them know the CDC did not help me with my specific questions that day.)

In any case, that was an interesting day. I originally called the FDA and asked them about melamine and they told me to call the CDC. At one point during the call to the CDC, Nicole told me to call the FDA.

Well it appears that now the CDC has an information sheet about melamine on it's website. It was put there on October 7, 2008. 

Yes, some of the information is vague. Some is misleading: In the section about pregnancy and breastfeeding, the notice states that melamine only stays in the body for a few days. But two paragraphs down it says "Scientists do not know exactly how long it takes the human body to eliminate melamine". Hello????

And some information is flat out missing. The CDC page focuses on milk ingredients, neglecting the fact that melamine has also been added to dry vegetable proteins and therefore could possibly contaminate many other processed foods we eat.