Ask what is melamine and how does it get into milk? Don't we need to worry about it entering the milk here?

Melamine is a powder used to make plastic in floor tiles, kitchen countertops, etc. Midwest Dairy Association/Midwest Dairy Council spokesperson Kim Polzin said that melamine has never been found in the milk supply in the United States or in dairy products produced in the country. She added that by looking for the "A-level" mark on the package, you know it is safe.

Melamine is not a food for humans or pets. It affects the kidneys and may cause kidney failure and death. (You may remember that pet food contaminated with melamine is related to the deaths of dogs and cats last year.)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blocked the import of Chinese dairy products in November and began inspections of the products here. This is why it found melamine in biscuits sold in Minnesota. These biscuits, manufactured in Vietnam and sold under the Wonderfarm brand, have been recalled.

According to the FDA, trace amounts of melamine have recently been found in some US infant formulas. However, the content is so low that the formula does not pose a health threat and can be used safely. The US Food and Drug Administration stated that the melamine may have been leached from the plastic lining of the can or during the manufacturing process and was not added intentionally.

In China, the addition of melamine to milk is related to what the FDA calls the country's "large and fragmented food processing industry." Melamine has a high nitrogen content and simulates protein in the test, so adding melamine will make the protein in milk appear to have more protein than it actually is. According to the Wall Street Journal, adding milk there is nothing new. According to reports, a farmer in a Chinese province "said that for years, people have been using'protein powder' of unknown origin as an inexpensive way to help malnourished cows' milk to deceive dairy product companies' quality checks. Become a large company After the discovery, some additive manufacturers switched to toxic melamine."

Send your questions to Fixit’s Star Tribune at 425 Portland Av. S., Minneapolis, MN 55488, or call 612-673-7032, or send an email to fixit@startribune.com. Past columns are available at www.startribune.com/fixit. Sorry, Fixit cannot provide a personal response.

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