Melamine in Animal Feed is Widespread Practice

According to a news source, the Chinese press is reporting that melamine is commonly used in animal feed “to reduce product costs while maintaining protein count for quality inspections.” The Nanfang Daily apparently calls the practice an “open secret” in the industry. Unnamed industry analysts reportedly said that such news reports constitute “an unusual departure for Chinese officials” and amount to a tacit admission that the scandal, which has affected a range of food products in recent months from milk to eggs, could affect even more parts of the food supply chain. U.S. food safety officials reportedly indicated some months ago that melamine detected in livestock feed did not pose a threat to human health. Details about their conclusions appear in issue 213 of this Update. See BBC News, October 31, 2008.