What is Melamine?

Melamine is an organic compound used to produce melamine resin by combining it with (embalming chemical) formaldehyde.

Melamine Resin is a kind of plastic which is characterized by its hardness and durability and it can withstand fire and heat up to 140 degree centigrade.

Melamine is also used in the production of the firefighter’s suit and garments and car racers suit. Garments of this kind do not easily catch fire and also resist heat, thus, making the firefighters and car racers safe when engaged in firefighting and during car racing accidents, respectively.

Melamine is widely used in manufacturing of kitchen melamine wares such as plates, plastic spoon and fork, bowl, etc. I am still wondering if Tupper Ware ® products are made up of melamine because they have the qualities of melamine products such as:

• Durability. It is resistant to breaking and cracking.
• Heat Resistance. It can be used to hold hot food and help the food to stay warm for a longer time.
• Free from Germs
• Harmful Chemical resistance. It doesn’t react with other chemicals.
• Stain Resistance.
• Fade proof.

In general, Melamine can be used in decorative laminates, arminoplastics, adhesive agents, coatings and used as a paper-reinforcing agent, textile auxiliaries, cement water-reducing agent and leather retaining agent, etc. The Wikipedia listed the following as the products which are manufactured with the use of Melamine:

• Countertops
• Dry erase boards or White Boards
• Fabrics
• Glues
• Housewares
• Flame retardants
• Inks
• Plastics
• Fertilizers

Why is it included in food and milk?

Manufacturers of food and milk that added Melamine to their products are actually cheaters. Melamine is not food but chemical that has high Nitrogen content and no other nutritional value. Just like what you noticed on the list of products made from Melamine, they are not food to eat but things that are used in our homes, offices, and other establishments.

As what you have known already, the authorities set the standard protein content of food or milk. The standard tests estimate the protein level of the product by measuring the Nitrogen level of it.

Take note, that the Nitrogen level is actually the one being measured. Since Melamine is high in Nitrogen, so cheaters use Melamine in increasing the Nitrogen level of their products so that the product will pass the standard test for the protein content.

Death and illness caused by Melamine

You’ve heard from the recent news that lots of milk and other dairy products manufactured in China are being recalled from the stores, and few personalities are arrested, and thousands of babies in China suffered kidney failure and few of them died already. These are all because of Melamine mixed in milk and other dairy products manufactured in China.

According to the experiments made, Melamine alone has no effect (toxic) to the living organisms. But Melamine Cyanurate can cause kidney illness and failure.

Melamine Cyanurate is a kind of salt that is formed when Melamine and Cyanuric Acid are combined. It is used as fire retardant.

Since, those affected babies in China showed symptoms similar to the effect of Melamine Cyanurate, so it was concluded that the Melamine in the Milk content caused those illnesses.

News and Updates:

• Hong Kong finds melamine in baby cereal and crackers
• Instant Coffee, Tea From China Recalled for Melamine

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