Is Melamine-ware Safe to Use?
Melamine-ware is generally safe to use for serving food so long as it is used for the purposes specifi ed by the manufacturer. Most manufacturers specify a temperature of -30oC to +120oC while some specify a temperature of up to +140oC. Hence, it should not be used for cooking or to be heated in microwave or conventional oven. Melamine and formaldehyde are the chemical building blocks of the material used in melamine-ware. Residues of these chemicals can be left in the fi nished product and can migrate into food. Occasionally, excessive migration of chemicals had been found in melamine-ware. Safety concerns of melamine-ware in these cases are usually related to the possible migration of formaldehyde into foodstuffs.
Migration of Chemical Substances.
Migration of substances from tableware to foodstuffs is infl uenced by many factors including the material of the tableware, the type (aqueous, acidic, alcoholic or fatty) and nature (solid or liquid) of the food, temperature, duration and area of contact. There is currently no specifi c international limit regarding the migration of chemicals from melamine-ware. Specifi c migration limits have been established in some countries such as the European Union and Mainland China to regulate melamine-ware for food use.
Health Concerns of Melamine and Formaldehyde in Foods.
Melamine is known for its low acute toxicity. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifi ed it as “not classifi able according to its carcinogenicity to humans” (Group 3) due to inadequate evidence in humans. In 2008, signifi cant concerns were raised worldwide following reports of renal stones in infants and children who had consumed milk tainted with high levels of melamine in the Mainland. Subsequently, the World Health Organization (WHO) established a tolerable daily intake for melamine at 0.2 mg/kg body weight. Although formaldehyde is not permitted to be used in foods, it is a metabolic intermediate which can be found naturally in food up to levels of 300 – 400 mg/kg, including fruits and vegetables, meat, fi sh, crustaceans etc. Ingestion of a small amount of formaldehyde is unlikely to cause any acute effect. However, ingestion of a large amount can result in acute toxicity causing severe abdominal pain, vomiting, coma, renal injury and possible death. But such an exposure is unlikely from formaldehyde migration to food from melamine-ware. WHO considered that formaldehyde was not carcinogenic upon ingestion.
Is Melamine-ware Safe to Use?
Melamine-ware is generally safe to use for serving food so long as it is used for the purposes specifi ed by the manufacturer. Most manufacturers specify a temperature of -30oC to +120oC while some specify a temperature of up to +140oC. Hence, it should not be used for cooking or to be heated in microwave or conventional oven. Melamine and formaldehyde are the chemical building blocks of the material used in melamine-ware. Residues of these chemicals can be left in the fi nished product and can migrate into food. Occasionally, excessive migration of chemicals had been found in melamine-ware. Safety concerns of melamine-ware in these cases are usually related to the possible migration of formaldehyde into foodstuffs.
Migration of Chemical Substances.
Migration of substances from tableware to foodstuffs is infl uenced by many factors including the material of the tableware, the type (aqueous, acidic, alcoholic or fatty) and nature (solid or liquid) of the food, temperature, duration and area of contact. There is currently no specifi c international limit regarding the migration of chemicals from melamine-ware. Specifi c migration limits have been established in some countries such as the European Union and Mainland China to regulate melamine-ware for food use.
Health Concerns of Melamine and Formaldehyde in Foods.
Melamine is known for its low acute toxicity. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifi ed it as “not classifi able according to its carcinogenicity to humans” (Group 3) due to inadequate evidence in humans. In 2008, signifi cant concerns were raised worldwide following reports of renal stones in infants and children who had consumed milk tainted with high levels of melamine in the Mainland. Subsequently, the World Health Organization (WHO) established a tolerable daily intake for melamine at 0.2 mg/kg body weight. Although formaldehyde is not permitted to be used in foods, it is a metabolic intermediate which can be found naturally in food up to levels of 300 – 400 mg/kg, including fruits and vegetables, meat, fi sh, crustaceans etc. Ingestion of a small amount of formaldehyde is unlikely to cause any acute effect. However, ingestion of a large amount can result in acute toxicity causing severe abdominal pain, vomiting, coma, renal injury and possible death. But such an exposure is unlikely from formaldehyde migration to food from melamine-ware. WHO considered that formaldehyde was not carcinogenic upon ingestion.
