HMMM Melamine
Could the boxes of powdered milk in my pantry be laced with melamine?
When I heard about the melamine scare from my mom, I immediately got a box of Nestle’ Carnation Dry Milk from my pantry and inspected its origin. It is surprising that there was no information as to the origin of the milk. The only location I got was the distribution point and the company’s main headquarters. To investigate further I called the 1-800 hotline and got baking tips and baking ideas introduction. I waited for a customer service hotline and got John Waschkowsky, without saying hello or any introduction, I asked if the product I have on my hands was laced with melamine. He said no. I asked how he knew. I really did not get a specific answer, just a general-no-detail-answer “No Ma’am, our products are not laced with melamine and they come from local sources here in the States.” I said, “Okay that’s good to know and I will not bother you with anything else. Thank you.” He asked if I wanted to get some coupons. I did not call to get coupons but if he insisted, yeah, why not. I gave my name, address and telephone number. He repeated them over to me and when he was finishing of his spiel–it seems like he’s getting a lot of the same calls lately, I said, “It’s good to know that I can drink this milk safely.” His last words were, “Yes, our milk doesn’t contain melamine, it’s locally sourced and even the milk we have in China…” He continued to ask for the barcode and instructed me to visit Nestlé’s website.
Now, wait a minute, just a few minutes ago, from what I gather, you produce locally sourced milk and milk products. So, now you’re telling me that some milk and milk products were from China? And you do have milk facilities in China?
Hmm.
From a consumer’s point of view, I wanted to be assured that Nestle’ is backing up the claim that their products do not have this harmful protein booster in their products. I asked him if they have a circular out, an announcement in their site or an article in a newsletter and newspaper, assuring us that what we drink will not kill us. He said no.
No circular out? Hmm…
What will I do? Should I pitch the 14 boxes of milk in my pantry? A few months ago, I sent less than 20 boxes of milk to my family in the Philippines, now; my brother has gall bladder stones. I hope he did not get it from the milk I sent them, but then again, he is an avid milk-a-holic all his life.
Another hmmm.
What is melamine? I asked my mom this question over messenger. She said it is some kind of extender. As always, the technical description and formulations are quite confusing. Being an average Joe, I always want some simple no nonsense explanation on things. I hope I am not wrong to say that melamine is an organic compound–oh, so it can be classified “green” but it’s not as green as most “organic” labels come because combined with formaldehyde it turns into resin. What? Isn’t it that formaldehyde is used to preserve or embalm a body? And resin is hard plastic? It is usually used in making the bottles in bottled water, countertop Formica, Magic Eraser, and all sorts of filters. Now, wait a minute, I use most of the stuff listed above. Ok, granted I don’t reuse plastic bottles which does not allow enough time to degenerate and get into my refilled water, I don’t usually work with sawing countertops in half which helps the melamine go airborne, I don’t buy Magic Eraser too often and I don’t sleep with the filters off of my car, but I do drink milk, put creamer on my coffee, dip my monay bread in condense and was about to make polvoron with my dry milk.
Yet another hmmm…
Should I take the risk? Before last 2007 melamine was determined non-toxic to minimally toxic when many pets started to display symptoms of renal failure and death, it was determined that pet-food were contaminated with this protein extender. This last few month a whole lot of buzz was on the news and even on local radio stations who reported that around 53,000 Chinese infants are suffering from kidney stones and kidney failure. What about my chocolates? It is said that a person can have a tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 0.5mg/kg. Which is to say that my husband can take 40 mg of melamine and my oldest child around 20 mg of melamine? However, do we really think this is workable? Who sits down everyday computing the melamine value in our food intake? Do we really say, ooops if I eat another bite of this chocolate, it is a certain death because I am way over my TDI?
I know you are gonna say hmmm…
I definitely should start to do something about the nonfat dry milk that sits in my pantry. After that, I am calling another 1-800 hotline to investigate the grade-A-pasteurized-homogenized-liquid milk that is sitting in the fridge.
