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