While Palin continues to swiftboat Obama instead of debating pressing issues like the economy and food safety the Chinese melamine contamination scandal has forced western food producers to think carefully about products which might contain any form of milk or protein, from biscuits and cake mixes to high-protein energy bars, chocolate-coated treats and sweets like white rabbits and eclairs.
Companies worldwide have been scrambling to establish independent testing of their products after it emerged that Chinese testing was utterly unreliable. Melamine was found in candy in four Connecticut stores this week, a state official said Wednesday. Days after contaminated White Rabbit Creamy Candy was found in California, Connecticut Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell Jr. said tests found melamine in bags of the candy sold at two New Haven stores, a West Hartford market and an East Haven store. How much Melamine can your body tolerate? Results below, with a comprehensive list of banned products so far.
But first more news of the tainted products you should pay attention to: earlier this week, Lotte Koala biscuits became the latest product in Europe and parts of Asia to be withdrawn from sale due to raised levels of melamine, after tests in the Netherlands found them to contain 4.98mg per kilogram, almost twice as much as the EU's 2.5mg limit. Canada is also warning people NOT to consume Lotte Koala biscuits. Kraft Foods also became caught up in the scare after rumours spread on the internet and by text messaging that its Oreo biscuits contained Chinese milk powder, prompting the company to issue a statement denying the accusations.
It explained that no Chinese milk ingredients are used in any of its products produced or sold outside Asia, although it is testing some of its Chinese-made products.
Mmmmm....I'd say the fact that they are testing "some" of their Chinese-made products does not bode well. Some companies are going to extreme lengths to protect their brands - for example a major food retailer took out a full page advertisement in Singapore's Strait Times newspaper to reassure its customers that its biscuit products did not contain milk ingredients sourced from China.
Taiwan's Department of Health was erring on the side of caution this week when it asked Nestlé to withdraw its Neslac and KLIM brand milk products even though the Department of Health itself had acknowledged that they were safe in terms of internationally recognized safe levels for melamine. This prompted Nestlé to issue a statement to reassure its customers that the presence of melamine at such a low level is common and harmless.
Australia has withdrawn four products from their supermarket shelves so far: the white rabbit sweets, Lotte Koala biscuits, Cadbury's best selling Eclairs and Kirin milk tea.
Here are the acceptable levels of Melamine that you can ingest, compliments of Food Standards of Australia (one of the strictest food advisory board in the world):
* A maximum level of 1 mg/kg for melamine in infant formula is considered appropriate. * A maximum level of 2.5 mg/kg for melamine in dairy-based foods and foods containing dairy-based ingredients is appropriate and acceptable. * A level of melamine above 2.5 mg/kg of food is indicative of food adulteration. * For infant formula, even at relatively low levels of adulteration an infant will quickly exceed the Tolerable Daily Intake for melamine, if consuming formula only. * Foods with low levels of dairy based ingredients, such as candies and biscuits, are likely to be infrequently consumed and in small amounts so they are not considered to be a high-risk food for potential dietary exposure to melamine even if the dairy ingredient has been adulterated.
The full assessment can be read here.
Should I worry about everything that is made in China? A new online traceability system for Chinese ingredients and products will provide quick and accurate information for food companies, consumers and regulators, claims it developers. But that is some time away from fruition so my advice would be, wait and see and in the meantime eat locally as much as possible, read the labels and don't be shy, ask a lot of questions about provenance. TraceTracker Innovation, with headquarters in Norway, has announced that it signed an agreement with the Shandong Institute of Standardization (SDIS) to establish the web platform, ChinaTrace, which it claims will help ensure the quality and safety of Chinese produce and boost the 'Made in China' brand. I'm not sold on that one yet. Below is the latest list compiled available on the net from the ever excellent Food as Medicine blog.
The following are food products reported to be tainted with Melamine and you should avoid these food products for the time being:
Products Recalled - Melanine Contaminated
BAIRONG GRAPE CREAM CRACKERS DOVE H/NUT ALM & RAISIN CHOC DOVE HAZELNUT CHOC DOVE MILK CHOCOLATE Dreyers Choc Cake Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Choc Cake Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Cookie & Cream Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Cookie & Cream Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Mint Chip Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Mint Chip Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Rocky Road Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Rocky Road Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Strawberry Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Strawberry Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Toast Almond Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Toast Almond Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Vanilla Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Vanilla Ice Cream 887ml DUTCH LADY STER M LF BANANA DUTCH LADY STER MK LF PLAIN DUTCH LADY STER MK LF CHOC DUTCH LADY STER MK LF SBERRY DUTCH LADY STER M LF HNYDEW DUTCH LADY STER M LF HNYDEW DUTCH LADY STER MILK PLAIN DUTCH LADY STER MK LF CHOC DUTCH LADY STER MK LF SBERRY DUTCH LADY STER M LF BANANA FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM SESAME CRACKERS FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM SALTINE CRACKERS FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM S ONION CRACKERS FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM SEAWEED CRACKERS GINBIS IMAL BUTTER BISC GINBIS PARTY ANIMAL SEAWEED BIS GINBIS PARTY ANIMAL CNUT GINBIS ANIMAL BISCUIT Koala Cocoa Biscuit 40g Koala Cocoa Biscuit 40g KRAFT OREO WAFER STICKS 18S KRAFT OREO WAFER STICKS 5S KRAFT OREO W/STICK WH CHOC 18S KRAFT OREO W/STICK WH CHOC 5S Lotte Koala Cocoa Funpack 210g Lotte Koala Cocoa Funpack 210g M & M Chocolate Peanut 200g M & M Chocolate Peanut 200g M&M CHOC CANDIES PLAIN% M&M CHOC CANDIES PEANUT% M&M CHOC CANDIES-PLAIN M&M CHOC CANDIES-PEANUTS M&M FUNSIZE MILK M&M FUNSIZE PEANUT M&M Chocolate Candies Plain 200g M&M Chocolate Candies Plain 200g MEIJI UJIKINTOKI 2978 MEIJI UMAKABO CHOCOLATE MEIJI FAMILY PACK-GREEN TEA MEIJI CHESTNUT & REDBEAN MENTOS BOTTLE YOGHURT PROMO PK MENTOS BOTTLE YOGHURT Monmilk BREAKFAST MILK MALT Monmilk BREAKFAST MILK WALNUT 6S Monmilk BREAKFAST MILKMALT 6S Monmilk CHOCOLATE MILK 6S Monmilk COFFEE MILK 6S Monmilk HI CAL LOW FAT Monmilk HI CAL LOW FAT MILK Monmilk HI CAL LOW FAT MILK 6S Monmilk HI CAL MILK Monmilk HI CAL MILK 6S Monmilk MILK DELUXE 12S Monmilk PURE MILK Monmilk PURE MILK Monmilk PURE MILK 6S MonmilkBREAKFAST MILK WALNUT NABISCO IN A BISKIT CHICKEN NESTLE NES D/STICK MINI VANILLA NESTLE NES DISTICK MINI CHOCO NESTLE MILK & BERRY STARS CRL NO FRILLS WAFER BLUEBERRY NO FRILLS WAFER CHOCOLATE NO FRILLS WAFER PEANUT Orion Fresh Pie 138g Orion Fresh Pie 138g Orion Tiramisu 138g Orion Tiramisu 138g PEI TIAN CREAM BISCUIT Rabbit Milk Sweet 150g SILANG NATURAL OAT CRACKER Snicker Candies Funsize 240g Snicker Candies Funsize 240g SNICKERS PEANUT CHOCOLATE% SNICKERS SNACKSIZE BARS PNUT 5 TAKE ONE BABY BITES 24S TAKE ONE BABY BITE CK VG TAKE ONE BABY BITE CARROT Vitasoy Chocolate Drink 4s 125ml Vitasoy Chocolate Drink 4s 125ml Vitasoy Melon Soya Bean Milk 4s 125ml Vitasoy Melon Soya Bean Milk 4s 125ml Vitasoy Q Soya Milk 4s 125ml Vitasoy Q Soya Milk 4s 125ml WANT WANT MILK CANDY Want Want Flavoured Milk 250ml Yili Hi Cal Low Fat Milk 1L Yili Hi Cal Low Fat Milk 6s 250ml Yili Hi Cal Milk 1L Yili Hi Cal Milk 6s 250ml Yili Pure Milk 1L Yili Pure Milk 6s 250ml Youcan Masterbean Multipack Youcan Passion Multipack Youcan Silk Sliced and Passion Strawberry Youcan Stawberry Multipack Youcan Traditional Sesame Multipack 4s Youcan Unusual Multipack 4s
Latest addition to list of Melamine contaminated food products The latest additions to the Singapore list are two flavors of Dutch Lady bottled sterilized milk; Silang House of Steamed Potato's potato crackers; and two flavors of Xu Fu Ji's puffed rice rolls.
They join Dutch Lady strawberry- flavored sterilized milk, a Yili yogurt-flavored ice bar, and White Rabbit Creamy Candy.
In the EU, all Chinese products containing more than 15 per cent milk, or where the percentage of milk content cannot be established, are being examined for melamine. French authorities have gone a step further, requiring that all products containing Chinese dairy ingredients are withdrawn from sale. And finally, a veritable trove of information on China and its melamine products are listed here. Do take a few minutes to click on some of the links to understand the breadth of this scandal.
But first more news of the tainted products you should pay attention to: earlier this week, Lotte Koala biscuits became the latest product in Europe and parts of Asia to be withdrawn from sale due to raised levels of melamine, after tests in the Netherlands found them to contain 4.98mg per kilogram, almost twice as much as the EU's 2.5mg limit. Canada is also warning people NOT to consume Lotte Koala biscuits. Kraft Foods also became caught up in the scare after rumours spread on the internet and by text messaging that its Oreo biscuits contained Chinese milk powder, prompting the company to issue a statement denying the accusations.
It explained that no Chinese milk ingredients are used in any of its products produced or sold outside Asia, although it is testing some of its Chinese-made products.
Mmmmm....I'd say the fact that they are testing "some" of their Chinese-made products does not bode well. Some companies are going to extreme lengths to protect their brands - for example a major food retailer took out a full page advertisement in Singapore's Strait Times newspaper to reassure its customers that its biscuit products did not contain milk ingredients sourced from China.
Taiwan's Department of Health was erring on the side of caution this week when it asked Nestlé to withdraw its Neslac and KLIM brand milk products even though the Department of Health itself had acknowledged that they were safe in terms of internationally recognized safe levels for melamine. This prompted Nestlé to issue a statement to reassure its customers that the presence of melamine at such a low level is common and harmless.
Australia has withdrawn four products from their supermarket shelves so far: the white rabbit sweets, Lotte Koala biscuits, Cadbury's best selling Eclairs and Kirin milk tea.
Here are the acceptable levels of Melamine that you can ingest, compliments of Food Standards of Australia (one of the strictest food advisory board in the world):
* A maximum level of 1 mg/kg for melamine in infant formula is considered appropriate. * A maximum level of 2.5 mg/kg for melamine in dairy-based foods and foods containing dairy-based ingredients is appropriate and acceptable. * A level of melamine above 2.5 mg/kg of food is indicative of food adulteration. * For infant formula, even at relatively low levels of adulteration an infant will quickly exceed the Tolerable Daily Intake for melamine, if consuming formula only. * Foods with low levels of dairy based ingredients, such as candies and biscuits, are likely to be infrequently consumed and in small amounts so they are not considered to be a high-risk food for potential dietary exposure to melamine even if the dairy ingredient has been adulterated.
The full assessment can be read here.
Should I worry about everything that is made in China? A new online traceability system for Chinese ingredients and products will provide quick and accurate information for food companies, consumers and regulators, claims it developers. But that is some time away from fruition so my advice would be, wait and see and in the meantime eat locally as much as possible, read the labels and don't be shy, ask a lot of questions about provenance. TraceTracker Innovation, with headquarters in Norway, has announced that it signed an agreement with the Shandong Institute of Standardization (SDIS) to establish the web platform, ChinaTrace, which it claims will help ensure the quality and safety of Chinese produce and boost the 'Made in China' brand. I'm not sold on that one yet. Below is the latest list compiled available on the net from the ever excellent Food as Medicine blog.
The following are food products reported to be tainted with Melamine and you should avoid these food products for the time being:
Products Recalled - Melanine Contaminated
BAIRONG GRAPE CREAM CRACKERS DOVE H/NUT ALM & RAISIN CHOC DOVE HAZELNUT CHOC DOVE MILK CHOCOLATE Dreyers Choc Cake Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Choc Cake Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Cookie & Cream Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Cookie & Cream Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Mint Chip Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Mint Chip Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Rocky Road Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Rocky Road Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Strawberry Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Strawberry Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Toast Almond Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Toast Almond Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Vanilla Ice Cream 887ml Dreyers Vanilla Ice Cream 887ml DUTCH LADY STER M LF BANANA DUTCH LADY STER MK LF PLAIN DUTCH LADY STER MK LF CHOC DUTCH LADY STER MK LF SBERRY DUTCH LADY STER M LF HNYDEW DUTCH LADY STER M LF HNYDEW DUTCH LADY STER MILK PLAIN DUTCH LADY STER MK LF CHOC DUTCH LADY STER MK LF SBERRY DUTCH LADY STER M LF BANANA FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM SESAME CRACKERS FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM SALTINE CRACKERS FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM S ONION CRACKERS FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM SEAWEED CRACKERS GINBIS IMAL BUTTER BISC GINBIS PARTY ANIMAL SEAWEED BIS GINBIS PARTY ANIMAL CNUT GINBIS ANIMAL BISCUIT Koala Cocoa Biscuit 40g Koala Cocoa Biscuit 40g KRAFT OREO WAFER STICKS 18S KRAFT OREO WAFER STICKS 5S KRAFT OREO W/STICK WH CHOC 18S KRAFT OREO W/STICK WH CHOC 5S Lotte Koala Cocoa Funpack 210g Lotte Koala Cocoa Funpack 210g M & M Chocolate Peanut 200g M & M Chocolate Peanut 200g M&M CHOC CANDIES PLAIN% M&M CHOC CANDIES PEANUT% M&M CHOC CANDIES-PLAIN M&M CHOC CANDIES-PEANUTS M&M FUNSIZE MILK M&M FUNSIZE PEANUT M&M Chocolate Candies Plain 200g M&M Chocolate Candies Plain 200g MEIJI UJIKINTOKI 2978 MEIJI UMAKABO CHOCOLATE MEIJI FAMILY PACK-GREEN TEA MEIJI CHESTNUT & REDBEAN MENTOS BOTTLE YOGHURT PROMO PK MENTOS BOTTLE YOGHURT Monmilk BREAKFAST MILK MALT Monmilk BREAKFAST MILK WALNUT 6S Monmilk BREAKFAST MILKMALT 6S Monmilk CHOCOLATE MILK 6S Monmilk COFFEE MILK 6S Monmilk HI CAL LOW FAT Monmilk HI CAL LOW FAT MILK Monmilk HI CAL LOW FAT MILK 6S Monmilk HI CAL MILK Monmilk HI CAL MILK 6S Monmilk MILK DELUXE 12S Monmilk PURE MILK Monmilk PURE MILK Monmilk PURE MILK 6S MonmilkBREAKFAST MILK WALNUT NABISCO IN A BISKIT CHICKEN NESTLE NES D/STICK MINI VANILLA NESTLE NES DISTICK MINI CHOCO NESTLE MILK & BERRY STARS CRL NO FRILLS WAFER BLUEBERRY NO FRILLS WAFER CHOCOLATE NO FRILLS WAFER PEANUT Orion Fresh Pie 138g Orion Fresh Pie 138g Orion Tiramisu 138g Orion Tiramisu 138g PEI TIAN CREAM BISCUIT Rabbit Milk Sweet 150g SILANG NATURAL OAT CRACKER Snicker Candies Funsize 240g Snicker Candies Funsize 240g SNICKERS PEANUT CHOCOLATE% SNICKERS SNACKSIZE BARS PNUT 5 TAKE ONE BABY BITES 24S TAKE ONE BABY BITE CK VG TAKE ONE BABY BITE CARROT Vitasoy Chocolate Drink 4s 125ml Vitasoy Chocolate Drink 4s 125ml Vitasoy Melon Soya Bean Milk 4s 125ml Vitasoy Melon Soya Bean Milk 4s 125ml Vitasoy Q Soya Milk 4s 125ml Vitasoy Q Soya Milk 4s 125ml WANT WANT MILK CANDY Want Want Flavoured Milk 250ml Yili Hi Cal Low Fat Milk 1L Yili Hi Cal Low Fat Milk 6s 250ml Yili Hi Cal Milk 1L Yili Hi Cal Milk 6s 250ml Yili Pure Milk 1L Yili Pure Milk 6s 250ml Youcan Masterbean Multipack Youcan Passion Multipack Youcan Silk Sliced and Passion Strawberry Youcan Stawberry Multipack Youcan Traditional Sesame Multipack 4s Youcan Unusual Multipack 4s
Latest addition to list of Melamine contaminated food products The latest additions to the Singapore list are two flavors of Dutch Lady bottled sterilized milk; Silang House of Steamed Potato's potato crackers; and two flavors of Xu Fu Ji's puffed rice rolls.
They join Dutch Lady strawberry- flavored sterilized milk, a Yili yogurt-flavored ice bar, and White Rabbit Creamy Candy.
In the EU, all Chinese products containing more than 15 per cent milk, or where the percentage of milk content cannot be established, are being examined for melamine. French authorities have gone a step further, requiring that all products containing Chinese dairy ingredients are withdrawn from sale. And finally, a veritable trove of information on China and its melamine products are listed here. Do take a few minutes to click on some of the links to understand the breadth of this scandal.
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