Melamine Testing Services

Responding to industry needs for fast, accurate and reliable analytical services for melamine, Silliker employs LC-MS/MS for the analysis of both melamine and cyanuric acid.

Validated on a number of milk-based matrices, including milk powder, infant formula, milk chocolate, and whey powder, the LC-MS/MS method provides results to a 0.50 ppm detection limit. While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that melamine levels below 2.5 ppm would not raise safety concerns in food products, no level was established for infant formula.

In 2007, melamine—a toxic chemical typically used in making plastics and fertilizers—was first identified in pet foods that sickened and killed cats and dogs in the United States. The source of the melamine contamination was eventually traced to China. More recently, melamine was found in Chinese infant formula that sickened several thousands babies in China.

Following this revelation, the number of melamine implicated products has grown each week, causing uncertainty across the global food industry. While these reports must be heeded, milk powder, infant formula, and foods containing >15% milk protein that originated from China have been identified as principal products of concern. In late October, the UK Food Standards Agency issued a directive requiring the testing of all composite foods and feed from China containing milk products. Products found to contain more than 2.5mg/kg melamine were ordered destroyed (www.foodstandards.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/melamineletter171008.pdf).

According to U.S. government risk assessment studies, the consumption of pork, chicken and eggs from animals and fish fed animal feed supplemented with pet food scraps that contained melamine and related compounds is "very unlikely to pose a human health risk."

With this information, you can best determine an appropriate melamine testing program for your product. As the leading international network of ISO 17025 accredited laboratories, Silliker can assist you with your analytical and consulting needs. Contact us to learn more about our analytical services.