|
CHINA> National
![]() |
|
China sets limit on melamine levels in dairy products
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-10-08 23:39 BEIJING - China's Health Ministry has issued new safety standards for dairy foods following the scandal of melamine-contaminated milk products that sickened thousands of babies. The industrial chemical was intentionally added to diluted milk to make it seem high in protein content. More than 50,000 babies were sickened as a result of consuming contaminated milk powder. Wang said a maximum of one milligram of melamine per kilogram of infant formula was the new limit. A maximum 2.5 milligrams per kilogram was allowed for liquid milk, milk powder and food products containing at least 15 percent milk. "Melamine is neither a raw food material nor a food additive," he said. "Deliberately adding the chemical to food items is prohibited. Once such cases are spotted, they will be investigated according to law." Melamine is used to make plastics and food packaging materials. When asked why China allowed any melamine at all dairy products, Wang said it was impossible to have "zero levels". The chemical can seep into food from its packaging. "The limits mainly aim to curb the deliberate adding of melamine," he said. According to the standards of the Unites Stated Food and Drug Administration, the safety reference value (tolerable daily intake, or TDI) for melamine is 0.63 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day. A child weighing 30 kilograms would have to drink around 1.2 kilograms of milk powder containing 15 milligrams of melamine per kilogram a day to have exposure reaching the TDI. |
荃湾区| 鸡西市| 津南区| 宁河县| 安康市| 浦县| 兴国县| 丰镇市| 香格里拉县| 星座| 格尔木市| 堆龙德庆县| 石泉县| 平邑县| 万全县| 岑溪市| 呼伦贝尔市| 德令哈市| 赣州市| 志丹县| 朝阳市| 古蔺县| 东海县| 思茅市| 鄂托克前旗| 石阡县| 车致| 肥东县| 兴安县| 酉阳| 双鸭山市| 清远市| 砚山县| 富川| 农安县| 江山市| 平远县| 万源市| 阿勒泰市| 故城县| 巴林右旗|