Oct
01
2008

Melamine In Milk Products

By | Nutrition, Prevention

The news has been reporting about contaminated baby formula that has its origin in China. The offensive substance is melamine, which is widely used in the manufacturing of plastics and paints. The industrial chemical most definitely has no place in human foods, as the ingested substance leads to kidney stones and kidney damage, which can ultimately be fatal. The number of sick infants has been on the increase, and numerous deaths have now been reported. Initially melamine was found only in baby formula which was produced by the state owned Sanlu Group, but as more products have been scrutinized, the offending substance has been found in 22 out of China’s 109 dairy manufacturers’ brands. While Sanlu seems to be the worst offender in this contamination spree, the list also included the two other largest manufacturers-the Yili Industrial Group that was one of the sponsors of the Beijing Olympic Games and the Hong Kong Mengniu Dairy.
While there has been a recall of the products on September 11, this has not been early enough. The Sanlu board of directors was first advised as early as August 2 that there was a problem with contamination of infant formula. It may seem to the consumer in other parts of the world that the contamination scandal is strictly the business of China, but in a global market this vision may be short-sighted. A vast amount of products in the global market have their origin in China.

Melamine In Milk Products

Melamine In Milk Products

The infant formula has been exported to African countries, to Indonesia and to India. Import stores on other continents carry products that are purchased by customers who remember the product from China. The melamine contamination seems not to be confined to infant formula only: there have been product recalls on yogurt drinks and candy, in which melamine laced milk powder has been used. There may be import bans in place to protect consumers, but ultimately the “buyer beware” warning is still as valid as ever. Consumers must read labels carefully to check the origin of a food product. It may be packaged by a local company, but the small print states that it is imported. If in doubt, ask questions about the origin of food.

Reference: BMJ 2008;337:a1738

Last edited December 3, 2012

Jun
01
2008

New Modified Carrots and Food from Cloned Animals

By | Nutrition

Researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife’s Vegetable and Fruit improvement Center and a research group from Baylor College of Medicine reported about their work earlier this year. They developed a new variety of super carrots that contain 41% more calcium than the regular garden varieties. In a study 15 men and 15 women ate regular carrots for a week. At the end of the week urine samples were taken to examine the amount of calcium absorbed. The test persons ate the modified carrots for a week, and more urine tests were taken. The result showed a higher intake of calcium from the modified carrots. The head of the study, Dr. Jay Morris, PhD made a statement that fruit and vegetables are beneficial for many reasons, but they have never been a good food source for calcium. He states that if the new technology is applied to a number of different fruit and vegetables, it could have a significant impact on preventing osteoporosis. This research may sound like a futuristic concept, but bioengineering and food from bioengineered animals may soon be a reality for consumers in the United States and in Europe. The FDA has reported that, for the most part, milk and meat from cloned animals is safe to eat. The European Food Safety Authority has also concluded at the same time that milk and meat from healthy cloned cattle and pigs are suitable for human consumption. At this point there was not enough information for the agency to come to a conclusion on the safety of food from other animal clones, such as sheep. The European agency noted that death and disease rates are higher in cloned as compared to conventionally reproduced animals, and it would be of essence that unhealthy clones will not enter the food supply.

New Modified Carrots and Food from Cloned Animals

New Modified Carrots and Food from Cloned Animals: BUY ORGANIC!

The European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) advises against food production from cloned animals due to the current level of suffering and health problems in surrogate dams and animal clones. Cloning remains fraught with perinatal and postnatal disease of cloned animals. Abnormalities are also common in the form of malformations, increased weight, respiratory problems, enlarged fetal liver and kidney abnormalities. Ultimately the old adage is as valid as ever, even if it comes to the mundane task of shopping for dinner. It is called “buyer beware”!

More information about the safety of our food: https://www.askdrray.com/our-endangered-food/

Reference: The Medical Post, April 22, 2008, page 25

Addendum on Nov. 16, 2012: Buy 100% organic food. It is freightening to see how superficial the FDA testing methods have become with respect to cloned foods, genetically modified foods etc. Your only recourse is to buy 100% organic food!

Last edited November 3, 2014

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