Recently several laboratories have reported the presence of three other compounds in the urine of animals fed melamine contaminated food. The three compounds included cyanuric acid, amilorine and amiloride. All three of these compounds are breakdown products of melamine, indicating that the melamine is being metabolized by the animals it is fed to. None of these chemicals is considered particularly toxic at the concentrations found in animal urine. Some investigators have noted that when melamine and cyanuric acid are combined they can result in crystal formation which is similar to that observed in the kidneys of affected animals.
However, this does not explain the spike in animal illnesses and deaths that occurred recently because, as the New York Times reported, Chinese farmers have been adding melamine to protein concentrates shipped to the United States for years. The outbreak in pets was acute, and did not appear to be due to chronic exposure to low levels of melamine.
As such, it still seems likely that other contaminants were being added to Chinese food products in recent months, and that these may have interacted with melamine and its breakdown products to cause kidney failure. What is clear from the information so far discovered is that the human food supply has definitely been contaminated with non-food chemicals originating in China. What is not known is what other possible contaminants were present, or how they might accumulate in people eating tainted meat, possibly leading to adverse health effects that may not show up for some time to come.
Dr. John Moffett is an active research neuroscientist in the Washington, DC area, who has published over 45 scientific articles on the nervous and immune systems. Dr. Moffett is also the author and webmaster of the political opinion website www.Factinista.org, and is a Managing Editor at OpEdNews.com.
You're right Gormley, it's all about profit in an unregulated business environment in China (and increasingly so in the US).
If libertarians had their way, businesses would be free to do this, and then the deaths would lead to people going to other sources of food for their pets. That is their idea of regulating big business. It would always take illness and death to "regulate" business behavior.
John M.
by
John R Moffett (80 articles, 14 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 610 comments)
on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 at 8:45:43 AM
It wasn't but a hundred years ago that the United States decided it was time to regulate its foods. China obviously lags behind-- and we knew that coming into the picure of international trade-- to look away from abuses of human rights and environmental record and food contamination in favor of the motion toward capitalism and democracy. Economically it is an exploding market-- but it has costs, especially as we ask ourselves to continue to look away. Oh there was a day, when Made and grown in America meant quality-- a touch more in price and engineering-- but quality of safety, performance and value. China has yet to prove that performance . Perhaps improved import inspection is appropriate.
by
Eliot Gould (11 articles, 0 quicklinks, 21 diaries, 102 comments)
on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 at 1:32:37 PM
This comment has been flagged and is awaiting review by the editors - Reason: Other
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE NY TIMES... I HAVE SUBMITED THE FOLLOWING TO THE NY TIMES AS WELL AS THE WASHINGTON POST: (THIS HAS FALLEN ON "DEAF EARS") THE USDA, EPA AND FDA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS.
*Melamine is a strong organic base with the chemical formula with the IUPAC nametriazine--triamine. Melamine is a metabolite of cyromazine, a pesticide.
I HAVE FOUND THE FOLLOWING:
cyromazine (melamine) use in California 2005 (insect growth regulator, insecticide):
MANUFACTURER & REGISTERED PRODUCT NAME
*Syngnta crop protection, Inc.
-Armor insect growth regulator
Registered Uses in the U.S. for Armor insect growth regulator
Uses
Insect growth regulator , Sex attractant or feeding stimulant
Pests
Sciarid mushroom flies (larvae)
Crops and Locations
Mushroom compost
*Syngnta crop protection, Inc.
* Citation insecticide
Registered Uses in the U.S. for Citation insecticide
Uses
Insecticide , Miticide
Pests
No pest , Dipterous leafminers , Shoreflies , Fungus gnats
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