Safety Of Foods Coming Out Of China

There have been a lot of stories in the news lately about melamine contamination of foods coming out of China.  This is serious business.  Melamine is a nitrogen-based compound that is one of the most widely used industrial chemicals in the world.  It is used in plastics, coatings, Formica countertops, and even as a fertilizer.  By one account, as many as 54,000 babies have been sickened worldwide by the most recent ethical and safety breach by Chinese companies that are placing this material in baby formula that is exported around the globe.  So why is this material being added to foods?

It’s all about protein

By most accounts, companies are believed to be adding melamine to foods as a way to make them appear to have higher levels of protein.  Normally, protein is the only sources of nitrogen in foods.  During quality control checks, many foods are tested for nitrogen in an effort to assure the protein content.  Adding melamine is a way to inexpensively add a nitrogen-based compound, thereby fooling the tests.  The most recent U.S. experience with melamine tainted foods was the pet food scandal that happened in 2007.  U.S. officials don’t believe any of the contaminated materials from this most recent incident were sold here, but they were checking to be certain.

Changes to food labeling rules

The U.S. public has started to take notice.  There have been a number of food scares in recent years, which eventually contributed to the changes in food labeling rules that went into effect at the end of September.  After the grace period, consumers should start to see “country of origin” labels on a wide array of food on grocery shelves.  The rules primarily impact fresh meats, fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

Compared to food labeling rules across much of the world, U.S. regulations are very lenient.  Rules in the European Union generally go so far as to demand identification of genetically modified crops, a subject that hasn’t even been broached in the U.S.  There have been recent news stories suggesting the sale of meat from cloned animals in stores.  If it happens, do you think regulations will demand that consumers be informed?

Much like the pace of change in the electronics industry, changes in both our understanding of genetics, and the globalization of the food supply, are producing rapid changes to our food supply.  These can only be expected to accelerate.  It would be in our best interest, as health conscious consumers, to try to keep pace.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!