Baseline levels of melamine in food items sold in Canada. II. Egg, soy, vegetable, fish and shrimp products.
A variety of egg-containing, soy-based, fish, shrimp and vegetable products sold in Canada were analysed for melamine (MEL) using a sensitive solid-phase extraction LC-MS/MS analytical method. MEL was detected above the method quantification limit of 0.004 mg/kg in 98 of the 378 samples analysed. Concentrations in the various food product groups ranged 0.00507-0.247 mg/kg (egg-containing items), 0.00408-0.0479 mg/kg (soy-based meat substitutes), 0.00409-1.10 mg/kg (fish and shrimp products), and 0.00464-0.688 mg/kg (vegetable products). MEL was detected less frequently in egg- and soy-containing products. The presence of MEL in most of the Canadian Total Diet Study shrimp composites collected after 2001 suggested the residues in shrimp were caused by a relatively recent exposure to MEL. All concentrations of MEL reported were lower than the 2.5 mg/kg interim standard established for MEL in items containing milk and milk-derived ingredients and the respective maximum residue limits for cyromazine and its metabolite, melamine, in vegetables set by the Canadian Government (2009; http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/chem-chim/melamine/qa-melamine-qr-eng.php#8 ). The consumption of foods containing these low levels of MEL does not constitute a health risk for consumers.
a Food Research Division , Banting Research Centre 2203D, Health Canada , Ottawa , Ontario , Canada K1A 0L2.
Sheryl A
SA
Tittlemier
Benjamin P-Y
BP
Lau
Cathie
C
Ménard
Catherine
C
Corrigan
Melissa
M
Sparling
Dean
D
Gaertner
Xu-Liang
XL
Cao
Bob
B
Dabeka
Carla
C
Hilts
D000818:Animals; D002170:Canada; D004531:Eggs / Q000032:analysis*; D005396:Fish Products / Q000032:analysis*; D005506:Food Contamination; D033561:Penaeidae / Q000737:chemistry*; D012758:Shellfish / Q000032:analysis*; D045730:Soy Foods / Q000032:analysis; D014227:Triazines / Q000737:chemistry*; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*
D014227:Triazines; C011907:melamine
LC/MS; additives, general