Green Treehouse

New parents have one more thing to worry about this morning: the safety of U.S. infant formula. Traces of the chemical melamine have been found in recent samples of popular U.S. infant formula brands. According to the Director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, “The levels that we are detecting are extremely low,” and [parents and caregivers] “should not be changing the diet. If they’ve been feeding a particular product, they should continue to feed that product. That’s in the best interest of the baby.”

Earlier this year, melamine was found in Chinese infant formula and has been linked to at least three infant deaths. Melamine is also linked to making thousands ill. More recently, melamine was discovered in certain candy, causing parents to avoid imported Halloween candy.

Melamine ingestion can lead to kidney and bladder issues, including kidney failure. Exposure to the chemical arises when it is leaches from food packaging or from equipment used during food processing.

To read more about Melamine found in U.S. Infant Formula, click here.

September 11, 2008: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (”FDA”) has issued a warning that parents avoid all infant formula from China due to possible contamination. According to one news source:

The Food and Drug Administration urged U.S. consumers to avoid all infant formula from China, after several brands sold in that country came under suspicion of being contaminated with melamine, a chemical used in plastics. Officials said there have been reports from China of babies developing serious kidney problems as a result.

According to the FDA, “All U.S. brands of infant formula are safe.”

The full story is available here.