The Department of Health’s Food and Drug Administration has set a limit of less than 2.5 parts per million (ppm) on the density of melamine that has dissolved in food after being put in melamine resin containers, sources said, adding that the new regulation might be enacted as soon as the end of this year.
At present, only the EU and China have food limits on the amount of melamine dissolved from melamine resin, with the EU’s standard set at below 30ppm.
Although Taiwan’s planned standard seems to be stricter than in other countries, Wu Chia-cheng (吳家誠), a chemistry professor at National Taiwan Normal University, said the health department “did not do the good deed all the way.”
Melamine resin is a plastic material made from melamine and formaldehyde through polymerization.
Wu said that melamine resin should not be used to make kitchen utensils and food containers in the first place, and especially not for children’s food containers.
“The quality of melamine resin containers is unstable,” Wu said.
He said the department’s method of examining dissolved melamine density is by using 4 percent acetic acid on containers made from melamine resin, then subjecting them to 95°C temperatures for 30 minutes.
However, there are substances in food other than acetic acid that can dissolve melamine, he said, adding that the containers used for testing are all new, while old resin containers with scratches could dissolve more melamine.
Lin Ja-liang (林杰樑), a clinical toxicology specialist at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in New Taipei City (新北市), said that when melamine-resin containers are of poor quality, placed under high temperatures or come in contact with highly acidic foods, they might not only dissolve melamine, which can cause bladder stones, kidney stones and other kidney damage, but also formaldehyde, which could cause cancer.
Therefore, strict regulations are needed, he said.
Department officials said there were regulations on how much formaldehyde may be dissolved from melamine-resin containers, which does more harm to the body.
Because the health risks of melamine have become well known in recent years, with the WHO setting a tolerable daily intake limit, department officials said related standards were being planned in Taiwan after studying regulations in other countries.
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