Melamine Contamination Caused by Corporate Greed, Import Liberalization, Gov’t Neglect

Two Philippine doctors, one an advocate of community-based health programs and the other a toxicology expert, said that corporate greed, import liberalization, and the lack of priority given by the government to local food production and to ensuring food safety are to be blamed for the entry of melamine-contaminated products in the country.

The reported presence of melamine in milk products as well as candies, chocolates, coffee drinks and other consumer goods using dairy products from China caused a stir among consumers during the past two to three weeks. Government agents raided stores at Divisoria, while supermarket owners refused to pull out any product from their shelves without any clear guideline from government regarding which products have tested positive for melamine.

The ensuing confusion among consumers and retailers alike prompted the Bureau of Food and Drugs to issue advisories and to release to the public the list of products being tested and eventually, a list of which products tested negative and which tested positive for melamine.

Melamine is an organic compound with 66 percent nitrogen. Combined with formaldehyde it produces a melamine resin, a very durable thermosetting plastic, which is used for producing plastic plates, house ware, countertops, dry erase boards, glues, fabrics, flame retardants, among others.

Some companies producing milk in China were found to be using melamine to mask the dilution of milk products. Melamine increases the nitrogen content of diluted milk; and because protein is also high in nitrogen, it makes it appear that the diluted milk is still high in protein and therefore, not diluted. The presence of melamine in food products is considered safe by the US Food and Drug Administration if it constitutes only 2.5 parts per million. But milk from China was found to contain around 520 parts per million.

In China, melamine-tainted formula milk reportedly downed 54,000 children, with kidney problems, and is being cited as the cause of death of four children.

Short-sighted

Toxicology expert Dr. Romeo Quijano said that the measures being instituted by the Arroyo government in response to the melamine scare are short-sighted reactions that do not protect the health of consumers but perpetuates the pathetic state of affairs as far as food safety is concerned.

Quijano is a professor at the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, in the University of the Philippines. He is also the president of the Pesticide Action Network (PAN)-Philippines.

Quijano said, "The government ridiculously tries to show it is doing something to address the problem by parading to the media hurriedly confiscated milk products, yet at the same time, it downplays the dangers by echoing a familiar corporate whitewash that humans will have to ingest unrealistically huge volumes of contaminated milk to be poisoned."

In his paper titled "Melamine Poisoning: Tip of the ice cream," Quijano said exposure to melamine and other chemicals is not new.

Quijano's paper cited past incidents of exposure to melamine. In 1987, melamine was found in coffee, orange juice, fermented milk and lemon juice, originating from migration of melamine from the cup made of melamine-formaldehyde resin. From 1979 to 1987, there was widespread melamine contamination of fish and meat meals in Italy and in 2004, there was a nephrotoxicity outbreak in pets in Asia.

Nephrotoxicity is a poisonous effect of some substances on the kidney. In 2007, thousands of cats and dogs, mostly in the US, became seriously ill or died of acute renal (kidney) failure after eating pet food contaminated with melamine and related triazine compounds. Hogs, chicken and fish were also affected by contamination of melamine and cyanuric acid in their food. Cyanuric acid is a common disinfectant.

Effects

Quijano said that based on animal data, melamine causes adverse reproductive effects, affecting genetic material. It was also found to cause bladder cancer in animals. He said it may also cause irritations of the skin, eye and respiratory tract, as well as the digestive tract thereby inducing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. It may also damage the urinary system.

Greed

In an interview, Dr. Eleanor Jara, executive director of the Council for Health and Development slammed the use of melamine as protein substitute in milk and other products. She said that the industrial chemical is not intended for food.

"They did that intentionally. It was premeditated. May pandaraya. (There was cheating.)." "They must be punished."

Jara added, "They get their profit at the expense of infants. They do not value life. Melamine can kill. Don't they know the chemicals they are using?"

Quijano hit Nestle and other companies for putting out expensive advertisements proclaiming that their products are safe even without undergoing the appropriate tests.

Government neglect, liberalization

Jara criticized the Department of Health (DOH) and the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) for being ‘reactive.' She said both government agencies undertake testing only when there are controversies. "Kapag wala pang nangyayari, di pa kikibo," (If nothing has happened yet, they remain mum.) she said.

Jara said the DOH and the BFAD should instead directly say that melamine is poisonous.

She said that the Philippines, like other Third World countries, has been a dumping ground of surplus products because of liberalization. "These products are not tested for safety," she said.

Quijano said food safety has never been a serious concern of governments and corporations, particularly with the advent of ‘corporate globalization.' He said that provisions of the World Trade Organization (WTO) related to food safety ‘clearly subordinate protection of health and environment to corporate interests.'

Quijano explained, "Countries, especially the weaker ones, are forced to import food products contaminated with toxic chemicals or substances. Any attempt to ban or restrict such harmful substances, even those already banned in other countries, is met with fierce resistance by corporate giants and their host countries. Such is the case for pesticides, artificial sweeteners and additives, genetically-modified organisms and now, melamine."

Alternatives

Jara said the government should encourage breastfeeding. "Infant formula milk does not contain the right amount of nutrition that babies need."

With breastfeeding, there will be no cause for mothers to fear that their babies might ingest toxic substances. Likewise, water contamination would not be a problem for babies, said Jara.

She said, however, that the government is not aggressive enough in promoting breastfeeding. Citing data from United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Jara said only 16 percent of Filipino mothers practice breastfeeding. Others feed their babies with infant formula and condensed milk.

She said the government should also conduct health education among the public.

Jara also proposed that the government provide support for local manufacturers of milk and other dairy products for adults. She said that the local food production must be developed. She noted though that the government chooses to ignore food production and food safety.

Meanwhile, Quijano said mechanisms for appropriate monitoring and timely intervention should be established. "Food safety should be placed high in the political agenda. Safe food should be put in the hands of the people." (Bulatlat)