1 October 2008
Windhoek — The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) have called on countries to be alert to the possible spreading of melamine contaminated dairy products.
In a statement issued last week by WHO Namibia, the two UN agencies also urged countries to closely monitor their markets following reports of melamine contaminated products in several countries in the past weeks.
They said melamine contaminated products could reach markets in other countries through both formal and informal trade, calling on countries to get information about the origin of the product, up-to-date recall information and in some cases testing for melamine contamination.
The two UN agencies said if milk and products were found to be contaminated, appropriate actions such as food recall and safe disposal based on an assessment of the risk to human health should be taken.
The melamine contaminated dairy products first came to the attention of the two organisations on September 11. Melamine, commonly used in manufacture of plastic (food contact materials) and in agriculture productions such as fertilizer, causes kidney failure. The consumption of melamine contaminated infant formula has caused the death of children in China, while 13 000 have been hospitalised. As of Friday last week, more than 54 000 children had sought medical attention in China.
The statement also urged affected countries to ensure the safe feeding of millions of infants following the ongoing melamine milk crisis.
"While breastfeeding is the ideal way of providing infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development, it is also critical to ensure that there is an adequate supply of safe powdered infant formula to meet the needs of infants who are not breastfed," said Dr Jørgen Schlundt, Director of WHO Food Safety Department.
Replacing powdered infant formula with other products such as condensed milk, honey mixed with milk or fresh milk is inappropriate as such products would put at risk the safety and nutritional status of the children, the two agencies said.
WHO recommends that all infants should be fed exclusively with breast milk for the first six months of life.
"No other liquid or food, not even water is required during this period. Thereafter, infants should receive adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues up to two years of age and beyond," the statement added.
Melamine is of low toxicity but animal studies have suggested that kidney problems occur when the chemical is present in combination with cyanuric acid, a potential impurity of melamine.
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