Nestle Recalls Infant Formula in South Africa

Nestle South Africa is recalling two kinds of infant formula made and sold in South Africa. This different article actually states the levels of melamine found.

Who's Got The Melamine

Associated Press corrects information that was originally reported yesterday. Article is here. The updated information comes from FDA, who gave misinformation to AP. Nestle and Mead Johnson melamine test results were flip-flopped on FDA spreadsheets, and have since been corrected. See article for correction. Still no word on a recall. Although it seems appropriate. To say that no level of melamine is acceptable in infant formula, only to allow certain levels once it's found makes the FDA look untrustworthy.

Is Melamine Testing Reliable?

It may be difficult for families to get reliable information from the FDA and manufacturers of infant formula. A Reuters follow-up story to yesterday's news provides conflicting information especially about makers of Enfamil.
Melamine Blog agrees with Connecticut Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro who says:

"The FDA should work with industry immediately on an action plan that eliminates melamine from the manufacturing process. This must happen in days not weeks," she said.

Small Amounts of Melamine in US Infant Formula

The Associated Press (story By MARTHA MENDOZA and JUSTIN PRITCHARD) is reporting that the FDA has found trace amounts of melamine in infant formula sold in the US. The article states that three firms manufacture more than 90 percent of the infant formula produced in the United States (Abbott Laboratories, Nestle and Mead Johnson) and goes on to say the results of the testing:

- "Mead Johnson's Infant Formula Powder, Enfamil LIPIL with Iron. An FDA spreadsheet shows two tests were conducted on the Enfamil, with readings of 0.137 and 0.14 parts per million.
- Three tests of Nestle's Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron detected an average of 0.247 parts per million of cyanuric acid, a melamine byproduct.
- FDA said tests of 18 samples of formula made by Abbott Laboratories, including its Similac brand, did not detect melamine, spokesman Colin McBean said some company tests did find the chemical. He did not identify the specific product or the number of positive tests.

The article points out a contradiction, raising more concerns for families nationwide:

Sundlof told the AP the positive test results "so far are in the trace range, and from a public health or infant health perspective, we consider those to be perfectly fine." That's different from the impression of zero tolerance the agency left on Oct. 3, when it stated: "FDA is currently unable to establish any level of melamine and melamine-related compounds in infant formula that does not raise public health concerns."

Families need to call the manufacturer if they have any questions arising from the use of these products. They can also contact the FDA at 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332). Report any health problems to your health provider and I would suggest contacting the CDC at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636).

Melamine in US Eggs?

I have been very careful to buy organic eggs lately. I am also very interested in speaking with ranches and producers of eggs about their livestock feed.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the questions I have been asking the CDFA and the FSIS about eggs, melamine and livestock feed. 

Well, I wanted to update that info and try to get more answers. So today I called Norco Ranch, an egg producer in Riverside California. I spoke with a rep about the eggs labeled organic with vegetarian feed. I told him my family had purchased eggs labeled organic, and I wanted to clarify the labels and confirm the claims about cage-free access and animal feed on the carton. He assured me that the livestock that produce those eggs don't eat any animal scraps, only vegetarian feed including corn and soy. When I asked him if there was melamine in the animal feed, he said, "Not for the eggs you purchased". I was actually a little shocked at his reply. So naturally I asked him if there was melamine in the feed for the rest of the hens that produce the rest of the other caged, non-organic eggs, because I know sometimes melamine is used in feed as a binder. He replied that "sure, probably" there was melamine in the feed, that he "hasn't checked" but that there "probably is melamine" in that feed.

I called FSIS (my last post on this topic pointed out that I was directed to call them) and spoke with a rep who said I had to call the FDA. Good times! We both laughed an agreed that the phone would not be answered - it would just keep ringing. The FSIS said, "We're a federal agency and we can't even get through to the FDA." . Ugh. The FDA. In all seriousness, it's not funny. So I called the California Department of Food and Agriculture (last time I emailed them) because I found a link on their website that says they are the agency that oversees livestock feed on the state level in California. I spoke with a rep in Sacramento. She stated that CDFA does random testing for melamine at UC Davis. I asked her if I could get the results of those tests and she put me on hold then came back and referred me to the Head of the Investigation Team. I left him a message. I hope he calls me back.

In light of the recent information about melamine-tainted livestock feed causing melamine-tainted eggs, I think there needs to be more worldwide testing of the eggs we consume. And the results need to be publicized. Contrary to James McWilliams' Op-Ed in the New York Times, everyone doesn't have the choice to buy organic food. Organic food is expensive and people on fixed incomes, such as seniors, and millions of people who can barely afford the rising cost of food, do not simply have the choice to start buying organic to protect their family from poisonous food. Whether you can afford melamine-free food or organic food - or not, everyone deserves the same healthy choices.

Current Good Manufacturing Practices not revised since 1986

I suppose the results will either highlight (among many other things) that melamine is widely used to process food in plants and that is where previously stated traces in our food come from, that melamine is not widely used to process foods and that is not where traces in food come from, melamine is not widely used to process food therefore the traces are coming from somewhere else, or melamine is not widely used to process foods and their are no reportable traces of melamine in food processed in the US. Assuming the survey of food processing practices also includes surveys of food quality and testing for melamine. The following is from the CFSAN website, posted November 12th.

* U.S. Food and Drug Administration *
* Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition *
CONSTITUENT UPDATE
Constituent Updates are also available on the web at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cfsupdat.html.
Announcing a Pretest of FDA's Food CGMP Survey Instrument
In an effort to provide additional protection against foodborne illness, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun the process of bringing the Federal rules that govern the safe manufacturing, processing, packing and holding of food in the U.S. up to date with modern science and technology. These rules, known as the food current good manufacturing practices, or food CGMPs, describe the methods, equipment, physical plants, and controls for producing safe processed food. They were last revised in 1986.
FDA intends to conduct a statistical survey of some 2,700 large and small domestic food facilities. These facilities will be asked to respond to the survey instrument and may do so either via the Internet or via mail, as they choose. In the next few days, FDA will begin pretesting of the survey instrument. The purpose of the pretest, which will involve sending the instrument via Internet to 50 to 60 facilities, is to ensure that the survey instrument is clear, unambiguous, elicits the information the agency needs and does not impose an undue burden on industry respondents.
The survey will seek information about five key issues relevant to the food CGMP modernization effort:
Employee training
Sanitation and personal hygiene
Allergen controls
Process controls, and,
Recordkeeping.
The results of this survey will assist the FDA in characterizing current food industry practices. While entirely voluntary, industry participation is critical if FDA is to accurately identify safe, cost-effective industry practices for modernized food CGMPs.
Responses to the pretest, as well as the actual survey, will be kept strictly confidential. All data will be collected, compiled, and kept by the independent consulting firm, Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG). Responses will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports ERG will prepare on this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific company or individual. ERG will not provide information that identifies companies to anyone outside the ERG study team at any time.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

CFSAN Constituent Update
- Office of Food Defense, Communication and Emergency Response
- CFSAN Web site: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/

NYT Editorial on Melamine

Excellent editorial from the NYT IHT about the melamine that ends up in our whole and processed food, regardless of whether the origin of the contamination is China or the US - or any other country for that matter. If you're wondering why the FDA, other agencies and food producers in the US are not publicizing (if they are even doing) any testing of their own products; products made, grown, manufactured, packaged, sold in the US - wonder no more. The author of this editorial, James E. McWilliams, really drives home the point that melamine contamination has to stop, regardless of where it starts.

Goooooood Morning, FDA!

Check out the Haphazard Gourmet Girls site for their take on the FDA's sudden revelation.

The "Burden" of Contaminated Food

The New York Times article about the FDA block on Chinese dairy products explains that the manufacturer and their customers will have to test their products and share the results with the FDA in order to clear the product. The article quotes Dr. Steven Solomon, FDA deputy associate commissioner.

“We’re taking this action because it’s the right thing to do for the public health,” said Dr. Steven Solomon, an F.D.A. deputy associate commissioner.
As a result, Chinese products that contain milk or milk powder will be detained until the manufacturer or its customer has the product tested and found to be free of contamination, or they show documentation indicating that the product does not contain milk or milk-derived ingredients.
“The burden shifts to the importer,” Dr. Solomon said.

I don't understand how this is supposed to be reassuring to consumers. Lotte Koala cookies and White Rabbit candies were found on store shelves at a discount weeks after they were found to contain melamine, and we are supposed to feel comfortable knowing that manufacturers and possibly distributors are providing the testing our health depends upon? Manufacturers may already be responsible for adulterating their product - and we are supposed to rely on them for testing? Doesn't the NYT article talk about shrimp producers breading refused shrimp to take advantage of loopholes? I understand that there will be enough food blocked up at the ports to wrap around the earth a few times over. But I don't understand why the FDA isn't doing any testing themselves. Or are they? Although he meant burden of proof, Dr. Solomon's choice of words hit the nail on the head: It's a burden. The FDA sees contaminated food as a burden. Yet it is part of the job that they are supposed to be doing. What about the Import Safety Action Plan? The issue is reliability. Who tests, and who examines the results. Will results be publicized? And is testing done accurately and can consumers rely on it?

Country Of Origin Labeling Needed on Processed Foods

Today's FDA's announcement makes me wonder about the food and feed meeting this criteria that has already entered the U.S. (and other countries) and is part of the channels of trade, i.e., already on store shelves. How are consumers supposed to know what foods contain raw ingredients from China? Does the FDA or another agency have a list of worldwide manufacturers that use Chinese-made raw ingredients? The FDA or other agencies also need to do some testing of food and feed manufactured in the U.S. as well to determine whether melamine is being used as an additive or a binder.

FDA Announces "Countrywide Import Alert"

The FDA announced today that they will be blocking imports of Chinese dairy products, and food and feed products manufactured in China that contain dairy ingredients. This countrywide alert is welcomed news.

It is also good news that the "additional information" the FDA received about the scope of the melamine contamination will compel them to examine non-dairy items as well. While testing of food and feed that contains dairy from China has been the most recent focus, non-dairy ingredients from China such as wheat products, rice protein and vegetable proteins were found to be contaminated with melamine last year (pet food) and recent reports from Hong Kong indicate that Chinese animal feed (hen, fish) have been found to contain melamine as recently as last week. This indicates that the "scope" of the contamination goes beyond dairy. And beyond China. Hopefully the FDA is aware of this and will consider a wider alert that leads to better food safety and more informed consumers. Below is the update from the FDA website, Melamine section:

Update on FDA’s Investigation
November 13, 2008: As part of its ongoing strategy to address the present problem with melamine contamination of consumer products exported from the People’s Republic of China, FDA has expanded its import controls on Chinese dairy products, and food and feed products manufactured in China that contain dairy ingredients. Since Oct. 10, 2008, FDA has had an import alert in place for specific products found contaminated with melamine and melamine-related compounds. FDA has collected additional information on the scope of the melamine contamination problem in China, and determined a countrywide import alert is warranted.
This action will help ensure that only Chinese dairy products and food and feed products manufactured in China that contain dairy ingredients are not contaminated with melamine and melamine-related compounds reach U.S. consumers. No adverse health effects have been reported in the United States from contamination with melamine of dairy products or dairy containing products. But melamine is not approved for direct addition to human or animal foods and no manufacturer is allowed to deliberately add it to any food for U.S. consumers.
As part of ongoing activities, FDA will also examine a range of protein-containing products beyond just dairy and dairy-containing products for contamination with melamine and melamine-related compounds. FDA will continue to take appropriate regulatory action if these efforts uncover additional contamination.

FDA’s Warnings/Advisories
The FDA is advising consumers not to consume the following products because of possible melamine contamination:
Fresh and Crispy Jacobina Biscuits New!
Koala’s March Crème filled Cookies
YILI Brand Sour Milk Drink
YILI Brand Pure Milk Drink
Blue Cat Flavored Drinks
White Rabbit Candies
Mr. Brown Mandehling Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
Mr. Brown Arabica Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
Mr. Brown Blue Mountain Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
Mr. Brown Caramel Macchiato Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
Mr. Brown French Vanilla Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
Mr. Brown Mandheling Blend instant Coffee (2-in-1)
Mr. Brown Milk Tea (3-in-1)
Infant formula manufactured in China

Is It Real or Is It Melamine?

Hong Kong is reporting that fish feed they've imported from China has been found to be contaminated with melamine. Hong Kong officials (whoever they are) are saying that the resulting Melafish are probably safe for human consumption because humans are not "directly eating the melamine". Um, no thanks. I like my seafood to be 100% seafood - not part plastic.

The Very Best? Really?

Nestle, already having problems with China made products because of melamine contamination, is recalling Farinha Lactea Ceral in the U.S. because of pesticide contamination. The FDA press release can be read here. Nestle says the "grain fumigant" is Pirimiphos-Methyl. Nestle claims that the product is not imported by Nestle USA into the United States, but rather the product is made by Nestle Brazil and offered for sale in Brazilian groceries in the U.S. by Nestle Brazil. Alrighty then.
For those of you interested in the country of origin of raw ingredients in the product, I have no word yet on the origin of the wheat or the pesticide.

Wonderfarm Biscuits Affected

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is warning consumers about a brand of biscuits that have been found to be contaminated with melamine. They are Wonderfarm "Successful" Biscuits. No word at this time about the level of melamine, or whether other products by Wonderfarm are affected. If I get any more information I will update. In the meantime, it is important to recognize that a lot of countries import milk ingredients from China as raw ingredients for use in their products, which are then manufactured and exported around the world. Be careful.

The Melamine Road

The Washington Post explains the role that middlemen play in China, as they bring the melamine, or melamine scrap, from the factories that produce products made of melamine to the various dairy and animal feed producers.

More on China's Open Secret

The Wall Street Journal is taking more of an in depth look at the food adulteration problems in China and has posted this article, which points out that Nestle and Mengniu Dairy Co., knew that "unauthorized substances" were added to raw milk but didn't know exactly what. I think this is a serious case of Anything For A Buck. The companies are watching it happen. The regulating agencies are watching the companies watching it happen. I'll probably feel different a day or so but right now I'd rather just eat my dollar than something from Nestle. To be fair, I know they aren't the only ones to blame. The bottom line is that consumers need more information about who knew what and when, as well as what is in their food and where it comes from. Consumers need disclosure and responsibility. Then the consumers will decide. 

North America imports eggs from China

Thank you to Melamine Blog reader Persephone for pointing out a Wall Street Journal article about eggs from China. The article portrays a chart with figures from the Ministry of Commerce, China, indicating that from January to August 2008 6.5% of eggs exported from China went to North America. The WSJ article was posted on Oct. 31, 2008. I would like to know where in North America those eggs went; I have not read anything more specific yet. Perhaps it's because so many of these eggs were consumed. Similar to what happened with the tainted wheat, pork and chicken last year. It's really a shame. 

When the egg situation was revealed I wanted to know more; to learn everything I could. I didn't know exactly where to start looking for answers about eggs, so on October 27th I wrote to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (since I live in California). I wrote:

I would like to know if California (or other states) import eggs or egg products (including dried eggs) from China, for sale in grocery stores, for use in processed foods by US food manufacturers, or for use in the food service industry. If so, does the CDFA or the USDA have plans to test these eggs for melamine? If so, when will the results be publicized? Also, does the CDFA or the USDA have any plans to require farms in California, and throughout the US, to use animal feed that is free from any melamine or melamine-related additive? Is there a way to find out which egg producing farms use melamine in their animal feed? Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

I received two replies from the CDFA; one from the Div. of Inspection Services Egg Quality Control Program:

Thank you for your question. At this time, California imports shell eggs from other states. Egg products such as liquid eggs, dried eggs, (powdered eggs), etc....are handled by USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and you would need to contact them for the answer to your question. You will be receiving an answer to your feed question from someone in our feed program. If you have any other questions, please contact us. 

and one from the Animal Health Branch:

Our Ag. Code & Regs. only deal with egg quality, labeling, size, & refrigeration. We don't get into cage sizes and animal movement. You can go to the following web sight and go to the shell egg quality control program section. http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/regulations.html. You can also try this web site, California producers take part in it. http://www.uepcertified.com/. Thank you, Animal Health Branch.

Wouldn't adulterated eggs - eggs with melamine - be considered "egg quality"? Well, after receiving those replies I wrote to the USDA - specifically the FSIS. I asked the same questions. I have not received any reply.
And I'll be reading and re-reading regulations. Again, thank you for your comments here at the Melamine Blog. Keep them coming.