MELAMINE INTO ANIMAL FEED IS AN "OPEN SECRET"

FRIDAY OCTOBER 31,2008
BEIJING
TODAY

THE PRACTICE OF MIXING MELAMINE INTO ANIMAL FEED IS AN "OPEN SECRET" IN THE INDUSTRY, THE NANFANG DAILY NEWSPAPER REPORTED.

THE DISCOVERY OF TAINTED EGGS FOLLOWED ON THE HEELS OF A SIMILAR CRISIS INVOLVED COMPROMISED DAIRY PRODUCTS THAT SENT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN TO THE HOSPITAL AND WAS LINKED TO THE DEATHS OF FOUR INFANTS.

DAIRY SUPPIERS ADDED MELAMINE, A CHEMICAL USED TO MAKE PLASTICS AND FERTILISER, TO WATERED-DOWN MILK IN ORDER TO DUPE QUALITY CONTROL TESTS AND MAKE THE PRODUCT APPEAR RICH IN PROTEIN.

MELAMINE IS HIGH IN NITROGEN, AND MOST PROTEIN CHECKS TEST FOR NITROGEN LEVELS. IT GIVE THE IMPRESSION OF HIGHER PROTEIN LEVELS IN AQUATIC FEED, THEN LATER IN FEED FOR LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY, THE REPORT SAID.