Candy scare be careful if you have little ones

ghostinthemachine · Post by **ghostinthemachine** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 10:21 am

HARTFORD, Conn. - An industrial chemical blamed for sickening thousands of infants in China was found in candy in four Connecticut stores this week, a state official said Wednesday.

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Days after contaminated White Rabbit Creamy Candy was found in California, Connecticut Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell Jr. said tests found melamine in bags of the candy sold at two New Haven stores, a West Hartford market and an East Haven store.

"We're concerned, obviously, there may have been bags sold of these before we got to them," Farrell said.

Anyone who has the candy should destroy it, Farrell said.

The contamination has been blamed for the deaths of four children and kidney ailments among 54,000 others. More than 13,000 children have been hospitalized and 27 people arrested in connection with the tainting.

Melamine, which is high in nitrogen, is used to make plastics and fertilizers and experts say some amount of the chemical may be transferred from the environment during food processing. But in China's case, suppliers trying to boost output are believed to have diluted their milk, adding melamine because its nitrogen content can fool tests aimed at verifying protein content.

Melamine can cause kidney stones, leading to kidney failure. Infants are particularly vulnerable.

Melamine has been associated with contaminated infant formula and other Chinese products containing milk protein.

On Wednesday, the Chinese government identified 15 more Chinese dairy companies as producing milk products contaminated with melamine, bringing the total to 20 companies. At least 100 batches of milk powder have been found to contain the chemical, according to data on the food safety administration's Web site.

Last week, California health officials announced it discovered traces of melamine in White Rabbit candy it tested. Queensway Foods Company Inc. of California distributed the candy and says it is recalling it.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working with state and local governments to check for and test products that could possibly be contaminated with melamine. Last Friday, the FDA warned consumers not to consume White Rabbit Candy and Mr. Brown coffee products because of possible melamine contamination.

The vanilla-flavored candy has also been pulled from shelves in Hawaii, Asia and Britain, and tests in Singapore and New Zealand last week found White Rabbit sweets tainted with melamine. The Shanghai-based maker of the candy, Guan Sheng Yuan Co., said last week it was halting production of the sticky, taffy-like confection, an iconic brand beloved by generations of Chinese.

The candy is sold in more than 50 countries throughout Asia and the world, including most of the Chinatowns in the United States. Overseas sales have reached $160 million over the past five years.

Commander Megatron · Post by **Commander Megatron** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 1:57 pm

27 people arested, sounds like part of a much bigger picture. I will have to be careful what sweets are given to my kids and what sweets I eat myself.

Post by **Minerva** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:12 pm

Scary and horrible news!

Grimlock · Post by **Grimlock** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:22 pm

Melamine is one of the ingredients in agricultural fertiliser, who would be foolish enough to add that to food ?

Commander Megatron · Post by **Commander Megatron** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:25 pm

Someone who wants to cause chaos all over the World.

Redline · Post by **Redline** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:51 pm

What is your source for this news story, ghost? I have not heard of this.

EDIT: Nevermind, here is the BBC report for anyone who would like to read it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7637001.stm

"Health experts say that ingesting small amounts does no harm but sustained use can cause kidney stones and renal failure, especially among the young." -quoted from the BBC article

Rattrap · Post by **Rattrap** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:10 pm

Cheap Chinese milk distributors. They water down the milk to make more money and add low grade Melamine to boost the Nitrogen content to pass protein tests. Watering down milk in China is a widespread problem, there have been multiple cases of infants dying of malnutrition due to watered down milk. The Chinese government issues protein tests to attempt and combat it, how ever the tests a really just crude measures of Nitrogen content, so Melamine tests the same a protein. Its speculated that the Melamine added as part of cheap vegetable protein mixes rather than being added directly (especially since pure Melamine is expensive).

Melamine in and of itself is harmless, its about as toxic as table salt. However, when mixed with Cyanuric Acid (another basically harmless chemical) it forms a precipitate, and when this occurs in living organisms, it precipitates out into the kidneys. This precipitate forms into kidney stones and eventually shuts down the kidneys due to the large number of kidney stones. Cyanuric Acid is an allowed additive to livestock feed and water, due to its basically non-toxic nature. The fact that they combine inside of the kidneys was relatively unknown until the 2007 pet food scandal, where 3 large pet food distributors received gluten shipments that were contaminated with melamine.

Neither chemical is tested on a widespread basis, primarily due to the fact that you could never get away with such a ridiculous scheme inside the US. Melamine testing is expensive and probably out of reach of the Chinese government. Cyanuric Acid testing is cheap (the test is actually titration with Melamine), but usually not done anywhere but the livestock industry (as its really the only place where it enters the food stream). Melamine testing in food within the US is only carried out when a Melamine containing pesticide or plastic is used as some point in processing.

Sorry if this seems unnecessary or boring to anyone out there, I think it's fascinating and am working on making a career out of it.

Grimlock · Post by **Grimlock** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:20 pm

Derrick adds some sort of chemical now and again to the water troughs for the cows to drink. It is a white crystaline make up that dissolves in the water. He said that it is to stabilize their " plumbing ". Would this be the same chemical that you are refering to ?

Rattrap · Post by **Rattrap** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:33 pm

Snarl wrote:Derrick adds some sort of chemical now and again to the water troughs for the cows to drink. It is a white crystaline make up that dissolves in the water. He said that it is to stabilize their " plumbing ". Would this be the same chemical that you are refering to ?

If its a protein supplement, its probably Urea derivatives (Urea, Biuret, and Cyanuric Acid (Triuret). Its called a non-protein nitrogen supplement, its cheaper than animal or vegetable protein. The stomach of the cow converts it into protein, so it has the same effect as a protein supplement in low doses. High doses can poison the cow and taint the meat however (which is why its measured and regulated). Its usually more common in the feed, than the water I believe.

Grimlock · Post by **Grimlock** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:43 pm

I will ask him what it is when he gets home.

We do feed the cows some extra food but it is only usually hay or silage.
The very odd time ( once a month and only in winter ) they get sugar beet pulp mixed with treacle and a compound of vitamins and protiens.
I will get the sheet off one of the bags tomorrow and have a look.

We prefer not to use this because as you said, it can taint the meat and grass contains all of the vitamins and minerals that a cow needs to grow and be healthy.

Commander Megatron · Post by **Commander Megatron** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:50 pm

This thread is now science and biology class!! Too complicated for me!!

Grimlock · Post by **Grimlock** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:52 pm

It is not really complicated, you just need an expert to explain it to you.

*Looks at Rattrap *

Rattrap · Post by **Rattrap** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:16 pm

I'd be happy to explain anything about Chemistry to you. I might have to differ to Redline on Biology though.

Grimlock · Post by **Grimlock** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:20 pm

The only thing that I know about chemistry is what happens when you mix sulphuric acid with a strip of magnesium in the correct proportions.

( the science lab was my favourite place if I was at school )

Do you fancy explaining what happens ?

Rattrap · Post by **Rattrap** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:27 pm

I'll answer in a new thread, so this doesn't get too far derailed.

Rumble · Post by **Rumble** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:31 pm

Rattrap wrote:Sorry if this seems unnecessary or boring to anyone out there, I think it's fascinating and am working on making a career out of it.

I didn't find it boring in the slightest, I found it very informative. Thank you.

Rumble.

Post by **Time Traveller** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 5:58 pm

do i get deferred to for answering physics and astronomy? it would make me feel special!

(i'm sure that RT would agree that physics majors are special. veeery special.

)

ghostinthemachine · Post by **ghostinthemachine** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 6:23 pm

it comes from the same company that was passing the tainted forumla for babies in china and i was on yahoo news this morning, the chinese government failed to mention this to the public because it was during the olympics and they didnt want to lose

Grimlock · Post by **Grimlock** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 6:26 pm

Okay then, if it will make you feel special.

Roar · Post by **Roar** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 8:38 pm

Rattrap wrote: Sorry if this seems unnecessary or boring to anyone out there, I think it's fascinating and am working on making a career out of it.

BORING!?

Its COOL that you know all this stuff! The world wouldn't have progressed to the point that it has without people like you!

We won't hold it against you though!

J/K

Seriously, 'Trap, your knowledge is fascinating!

I hope you explain that blue vs. clear plastic filler thing about Fortress Maximus to us. Adding color to clear plastic makes it stronger how?

And.........

Since you're a chemicals man........

You can help me set up that illegal still in my basement!