title: Melamine contamination.
abstract: In the summer of 2008, serious illnesses and deaths of babies in China were linked to melamine-tainted powdered infant formula. Melamine contains several metabolites, such as ammeline, ammelide, and cyanuric acid, and has been used for the adulteration of foods or milk to increase their apparent protein content. It is assumed that melamine and its metabolites are absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, and precipitate in the kidney to form crystals. A new tolerable daily intake of 0.2 mg kg(-1) body weight was adapted by the World Health Organization in 2008. This paper reviews the variety of analytical methods that have been used for the analysis of melamine in food. The limit of detection of these various methods is 0.05-100 ppm. The maximum acceptable concentration in food has been set at 50 ppb by the US FDA. A fast and ultrasensitive procedure for screening, detection, and characterization of melamine and its derivative compounds needs to be established. Currently, mass-spectrometry technologies provide an alternative to derivatization for regulatory analysis of food.
authors: Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shi-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan. yctyan@kmu.edu.tw
authors: Yu-Chang
authors: YC
authors: Tyan
authors: Ming-Hui
authors: MH
authors: Yang
authors: Shiang-Bin
authors: SB
authors: Jong
authors: Chih-Kuang
authors: CK
authors: Wang
authors: Jentaie
authors: J
authors: Shiea
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D014227:Triazines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014227:Triazines; C011907:melamine