Melamine is a man made chemical with multiple uses. It is used in dinnerware, flame retardants and also in glue production. Melamine has not been approved for any type of food use as as a feed additive in animal feed. It has however come to light that melamine has been extensively used as a filler to boost the protein content of some food products.
What is Melamine?
Melamine is a white odorless crystalline powder composed of nitrogen and carbon. Its high nitrogen content is the basis for its unscrupulous use. Melamine has been used to substitute protein in some foods as it has the nitrogen content to fool the standard protein test. As a result of the manufacturing process, melamine powder can sometimes contain cyanuric acid. When taken alone melamine is metabolically inert; it will slowly make its way through the body after being ingested and is eventually eliminated whole. When ingested in combination with cyanuric acid, the two compounds combine forming a white lattice of crystalline melamine cyanurate. The melamine cyanurate is the cause of the symptoms associated with melamine poisoning.
Kidney Stones from Eating Melamine
As a part of normal elimination of a biological system the body attempts to eliminate the melamine cyanurate through the kidneys. As a result the insoluble lattice of melamine cyanurate crystals form in the renal tubes, the kidneys, ureter, urethra and/or the bladder. Unlike normal kidney stones these contain identifiable melamine. These melamine stones block the flow of urine causing pain, urinary tract infections, kidney damage and kidney failure.
Symptoms of Melamine Poisoning
Symptoms of melamine poisoning are similar to those of an individual afflicted with kidney stones. The children in China, who consumed the melamine tainted formula, exhibited classic kidney stones symptoms. They had unexplained fevers which were possibly the result of urinary tract infections. The also exhibited unexplained crying. The crying was more notable as the child tried to pass urine. The crying was probably as a result of the pain associated with passing the stones. The children also produced little or no urine and had high blood pressure. The children’s urine also contained the tell tale minute kidney stones which are characteristic of melamine poisoning.
Does Melamine Cause Cancer
In a research study, laboratory animals fed melamine diets show carcinogenic tendencies. In a study of rats where lab animals were fed 225 mg/kg body weight per day for 103 days the male rats developed cancers in the bladder (Ogasaqara et al. “Urinary bladder carcinogenesis induced by melamine in F344 male rats: correlation between carcinogenicity and urolith formation” Carcinogenesis 16(11): 2773-2777, 1995 Abstract). The doses used for this study are extremely high, and do not provide enough evidence to suggest melamine’s carcinogenic activity in humans.
In response to the 2008 melamine poisoning outbreak in China, the US Food and Drug Administration issued guidance titled “Guidance for Industry: Pharmaceutical Components At Risk for Melamine Contamination.” The guidance helps pharmaceutical manufacturers to identify possible melamine contaminated products.
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