Melamine safety facts

Written by Writer on Monday, October 13th, 2008

- Melamine is used in food packaging as well as a component in some fertilisers and pesticides.

- Melamine is a very safe food contact material. Traces are permitted in many foods due to production and processing technologies.

- The estimated level of melamine in food resulting from its use in food contact materials is less than 0.015 ppm and its health impact is considered low.

- Consumption of products with traces of melamine does not pose a health risk.

- It is only the deliberate adulteration of food products with melamine that can lead to health problems.

- The melamine tolerance level of an average 70kg person is 35mg, based on a well balanced diet. Therefore an average person can tolerate 17.5mg of melamine/kg of food.

- At the 2.5 ppm limit a 70kg person would have to consume more than 14kg of food a day to reach the daily tolerable intake of melamine.

- In terms of milk, a 70kg person would have to drink a near impossible 17.5 litres of milk with a melamine level of 2.5 ppm a day to reach the daily tolerable intake of melamine.

Bangkok Post