Are you a “news freak”? I am. I need to know what’s going on around the world every day. I do know people who could care less, and that sometimes concerns me. But I digress here.
This morning as I was checking the goings-on (including the Wall Street mess) the ticker racing across the bottom of the television screen announced that Engand’s Cadbury candy company has learned that their candies made in China contain that substance known as melamine.
We all remember the pet food scare, and I’m sure we will never know how many pets really did die because their food contained melamine. Matter of fact, it was at that time I learned my kitty’s high-priced food wasn’t even made in the USA. I changed brands. Then we learned about the baby formula in China, and today it’s candy. I’m wondering what is next.
I decided to study up a bit about melamine, and I have to tell you it’s a little scary. You will find melamine in flame retardants, inks, plastics, fertilizers, fabrics and glues just to name a few. Apparently, melamine alone has no significant toxic effects. The problem is when melamine is combined with cyanuric acid. This combination forms melamine cyanurate which causes kidney stones, kidney failure and even cancer.
Here’s why melamine is being added to food. When food is tested for protein content, the nitrogen levels are tested as well. Melamine raises the nitrogen levels of foods, leaving the testers to believe the protein levels are higher than they really are. This allows the food manufacturer to place cheap fillers in the food. In the case of the milk formula, the addition of melamine diluted the amount of milk necessary to get the high protein reading. It seems it’s all about money. Fortunately there are very strict regulations and better testing equipment in our country.
Each day it seems more apparent that we as consumers need more information about our food and we definitely need to be aware and on guard. I wonder what the next food to be contaminated with melamine will be, and when. Growing my own food and buying organic food looks better all the time.
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