Melamine is a high nitrogen compound that appears to have been added to diluted milk to give the appearance of normal protein levels when tested for protein levels based on nitrogen content.
Mainly, melamine is a by-product of the coal industry. It is a chemical compound with numerous industrial uses, including the manufacture of plastic, dishes, kitchenware, commercial filters, laminates, adhesives, molding compounds, coatings and flame retardants.
Melamine is high in nitrogen and is therefore illegally added to food and feed to increase the apparent protein content of food and feed products.
One of the standard tests to measure the protein content in food actually measures the nitrogen level and based on that determines the protein level in the food. Because melamine is high in nitrogen, such tests interpret this nitrogen content as protein. Therefore, if the milk has been diluted with water and melamine has been added, measuring the nitrogen level to determine the protein content hides the fact that water has been added to the milk. However, there are a number of other methods for testing protein content in food that do not focus on the measurement of nitrogen content. When using such tests, the increased nitrogen content due to the presence of melamine is not measured. In the case of diluted milk, these tests detect reduced protein content.
Data on melamine toxicity are limited, but animal studies to date indicate low toxicity. There are no human studies on melamine toxicity.
It is a synthetic chemical used in the production of melamine resins and pigments. People are exposed to melamine from a variety of sources, including transition from such products to foods, pesticide contamination, and illegal additions to foods. Toxicity studies suggest that long-term consumption of melamine leads to kidney stone formation and even death. Therefore, reliable and accurate detection methods are necessary to prevent human exposure to melamine. Some methods for melamine detection include instrumental analysis, immunoassays, and sensor methods.
Food melamine contamination has become a problem in baby foods and pet foods in recent years. Melamine appears to have been added deliberately to inflate the nitrogen content, which is often the only measure of protein in these products.
Our company also provides melamine analysis services with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment, among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies it provides for businesses in various sectors.
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