Have you read about the modern China milk scare?
If you do, you probably know melamine as contaminant found in the baby formula and other milk products from 22 Chinese dairy companies (at time of writing).
Dinnerware Set
In China alone, the contaminated baby milk caused nearly 53,000 Chinese infants to fall ill and already killed four of them since the milk scandal started. All of them suffered from acute kidney problems such as kidney stones and kidney failures.
Wait a second. Are we talking about the same melamine as the melamine in dishware / dinnerware? Yes, the same melamine found in plates, bowls and other kitchen utensils.
Melamine Dishware - How Safe is It?
As a very versatile substance with high nitrogen content, melamine combines with formaldehyde (another chemical compound) to form a fire unyielding and heat tolerant thermoset plastic. Hence, melamine becomes an foremost ingredient in output of plastic kitchen utensils and dishware (as well as fertilizers).
Dinnerware Set
So should you start worrying about melamine dishware? Well, read on before you decide.
First of all, let's be clear that we cannot consume melamine at all. However, melamine in plates and bowls differs from mixing melamine into the food itself. You can be assured that many countries levy correct standards on the use of chemicals when producing kitchen utensils and dishware and they conduct quarterly checks on these products.
This includes safety measures such as ensuring minimal change of chemical residue into food due to heat. Once found harmful, the governmental agencies will not hesitate to ban the imports of these products.
Furthermore, melamine will only melt when exposed to high heat such as oven and microwave. Hence, you'll observation warnings on the melamine dishware to remind you not to place them in ovens and microwaves. Look out for those safety labels or the small prints at the bottom.
Do not use melamine dinnerware for acidic food as the acidity may corrode the surface, causing chemical residue to leach into the food.
Having said that, many scientists suggest that as long as you use melamine dishware / dinnerware properly, even if residual leaching happens, the small amounts won't sway you greatly.
As an additional one precautionary measure, buy quality, well-known brand melamine dishware even if they cost more. You must beware of the cheap "melamine" wares ready in the store which may be fake melamine or do not comply with the safety standards.
Find out more about the dishware company you are buying from. It's even better if the company can show you unavoidable certification that it adheres to the correct regulation and standards set by your governmental condition departments.
In this way, you can get some, if not 100% foolproof assurance. Actually, melamine by itself is non-toxic in low doses as we pass them out in fact in urine.
According to Us Food and Drug management (Fda), even if we consume melamine accidentally, as long as we do not exceed 0.63 mg of melamine per kg of body weight each day, we'll still be fine.
So, as an adult, if you weigh 60 kg (132 pounds), your body can withstand up to 37.8 mg of this chemical. If your kid weighs 30 kg (66 pounds), his or her Tolerable Daily Intake of melamine will be 18.9mg.
The qoute with China-produced baby milk is it carries too much melamine that an infant's body can withstand. And if the poor infants are fed melamine-contaminated milk regularly, they'll die a slow death.
