Got…melamine?

This week, the FDA halted the importation of all milk products from China until they are tested and proved free from melamine contamination. This action followed a string of recalls over the last couple of months:

• White Rabbit candy (September 26)
• Mr. Brown coffee mix (October 1)
• Blue Cat flavored beverages (October 3)
• YILI milk drinks (October 10)
• Koala’s March cookies (October 17)
• Fresh and Crispy Jacobina biscuits (October 29)

In 2007, melamine contamination of pet food ingredients imported from China was responsible for the deaths of cats and dogs throughout the U.S. The affected animals developed kidney stones and eventually kidney failure.

The problem resurfaced this year when thousands of Chinese babies became ill and at least four died after drinking infant formula made from milk adulterated with melamine. Just like the American pets, these children suffered from kidney stones and kidney failure.

According to news reports, many Chinese milk producers have been boosting their profits by diluting their milk with water and then adding melamine to give the illusion of a normal protein count. Recalls of products containing Chinese milk products have occurred worldwide, from Cadbury chocolate sold in Asia and Australia to chocolate coins in Canada. Two weeks ago, melamine was found in Chinese eggs and animal feed, raising the possibility that many more foods are contaminated.

The FDA claims that no illnesses linked to melamine in Chinese food products have been reported in the United States. But is it just a coincidence that doctors in the U.S. are seeing a steep rise in the incidence of kidney stones in children, some as young as 5 or 6?

“The older doctors would say in the ’70s and ’80s, they’d see a kid with a stone once every few months,” said Dr. Caleb P. Nelson, a urology instructor at Harvard Medical School who is co-director of the new kidney stone center at Children’s Hospital Boston. “Now we see kids once a week or less.”

According to that NY Times article, the increase has been attributed to high salt intake and not enough liquids. But have American kids really increased their salt consumption that dramatically in the last two or three decades? I remember loving Fritos way back in the ’60s. We here at What on Earth are We Eating are skeptical.