Is Anyone Safe from Melamine Milk?

Melamine in China's milk products has sickened over 54,000 infants, but the negative side effects of this milk aren't just limited to human beings; now two orangutans have been hospitalized with melamine-induced kidney stones.

Of course, the orangutans aren’t the only others who have consumed amounts of melamine, a chemical that appears to add extra protein to foods, but is insoluble to humans.  Neither were last year’s unsuspecting U.S. pets whose food also contained the toxic chemical.

Despite the risks, melamine is often a staple in animal feed throughout China.  Many vendors will add it to cottonseed meal, cornmeal, or soy meal to raise the appearance of nutrition, and many farmers simply can’t afford the high cost of testing for melamine.

While this allows the vendors to increase their profits, it can severely damage many dairy farms.  If the dairy cows aren’t getting enough protein from their melamine-enhanced food, their milk similarly will not have the nutrients it needs. 

Furthermore, if the cows are consuming melamine, it’s likely that their milk also contains trace elements of it, causing unassuming farmers to possibly sell melamine milk.  Other farmers might add additional melamine to the low-protein milk in order to make a profit.

Chinese officials have assured consumers that the scandal is under control, and all 235 samples of milk and yogurt sold after September 14 have been melamine-free.  Considering the depth of the problem, which impacts much of the food chain, this might be easier said than done. 

As more countries introduce bans on importing milk from China, and consumer confidence in dairy products plummets, it will be difficult for the industry to recover.