Melamine found in Enfamil Lipil

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's junk in everything - including your breastmilk. Breast is not always best. This is just another thing for us to obsess over. Breast is besters need to get off their high horses and join the ranks of the rational down to earthers.
Let's not freak out over this and make it worse for everyone.

Ummm...sorry, but the facts don't support this at all. I don't think it's helpful for anyone to pretend that formula is somehow on equal footing with breastmilk. It isn't...particularly in light of this new finding. We don't need to guilt trip people that truly can't breastfeed for various reasons, but we also don't need to make up our own set of facts to make ourselves feel better.

Breast is not always best. Look at all the stories moms post on DCUM dealing with bfing issues. For some families, formula maintains sanity and a sane happy mom is much better than one who dreads feeding her child.

14:07 here- I agree. I was speaking about the health benefits, and the risk of toxic chemicals found in formula vs. breastmilk.

[Anonymous]

My husband informed me about this this morning. His instant reaction was "we need to stop feeding the baby formula". This is easier said than done. The melanine is apparently in almost everything. I phoned my doc as well as the poison control (per my docs instructions - I think he was just giving me another opinion to go to). Apparently the issue here is that the FDA has previously reported that "no amount of melanine is acceptable". According to their previous guidance, the allowable limits are less than 250 parts per billion are considered safe. According to my doc and the poison control, the limits discovered are significantly under 250 ppb. The China issue was because they were adding the melanine to the formula to increase the protein count. I admit, I was in a tailspin when I found out, but unfortunately, the current environment we live in contains excessive pollutants in various forms. We are continuing to keep our son on the Enfamil at this time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband informed me about this this morning. His instant reaction was "we need to stop feeding the baby formula". This is easier said than done. The melanine is apparently in almost everything. I phoned my doc as well as the poison control (per my docs instructions - I think he was just giving me another opinion to go to). Apparently the issue here is that the FDA has previously reported that "no amount of melanine is acceptable". According to their previous guidance, the allowable limits are less than 250 parts per billion are considered safe. According to my doc and the poison control, the limits discovered are significantly under 250 ppb. The China issue was because they were adding the melanine to the formula to increase the protein count. I admit, I was in a tailspin when I found out, but unfortunately, the current environment we live in contains excessive pollutants in various forms. We are continuing to keep our son on the Enfamil at this time.

I called our pediatrician who said that there are worse things to avoid - such as feeding organic spinach to babies and exposing them to E Coli. He said that the melamine is in such small amounts that the babies will expel it from their bodies.

My husband said this, which makes sense: Ten years ago, they could have tested for melamine and found nothing - NOT because the poison was absent but b/c we didn't have the capability to test for such small amounts. Furthermore, he heard that it was found in milk-based formulas. So I am wondering about the amounts in soy-based formulas.

I'm certain they began testing shortly after the China incident. So who knows how much melamine was present in other formulas that children drank in past years? And I am in agreement with the PP's statement I bolded. We are all exposed to chemicals each day. There is melamine, for example, in cleaning solutions. So if you're wiping down a countertop and you put a piece of food on it, you're ingesting it in small amounts. Furthermore, I remember hearing about tests done on breast milk and all of the chemicals found in it.

Maybe I'm just trying to make myself sound better, but I am trying not to be an alarmist in this case. Listen to the FDA reports instead of the news, as the news tends to sensationalize these stories.

[Anonymous]

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- The Food and Drug Administration said U.S.-made baby formula was safe despite finding "trace levels" of the toxic chemical melamine in a sample.

The Food and Drug Administration said it also found trace levels of the industrial chemical in other products such as nutritional and medical supplements produced by U.S. infant formula manufacturers, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

The levels of melamine "are extremely low," said Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the agency's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "It didn't cause any concern at all, not from a health standpoint."

The agency tested products from the five FDA-approved makers of milk-based infant formulas -- Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT), Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:MY), Nestle SA's Nestle USA unit, PBM Products LLC and Solus Products LLC. Sundlof told the Journal the traces stemmed from the products coming in contact with melamine during processing.

The FDA approved melamine as a "food contact substance" about 40 years ago, the Journal said.

Melamine traces in the U.S. products were detected by a testing program the FDA began after Chinese-made infant formula tainted with much higher levels of melamine sickened tens of thousands of babies in China and led to at least four deaths.


http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/11/26/FDA_finds_trace_of_melamine_in_formula/UPI-40031227707691/

[Anonymous]

Earth's Best Organic, according to its site, found no traces in their recent testing, just FYI

http://www.earthsbest.com/press/formula-safety.php

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Earth's Best Organic, according to its site, found no traces in their recent testing, just FYI

http://www.earthsbest.com/press/formula-safety.php

Thank you! You are very resourceful! This was THE most helpful post. If you click on store locations, you can do a product search by zip code. But call the store first b/c they are running out quickly. The soy doesn't sell out as fast - good for me! But the milk-based products are going quickly. I compared ingredients - same as Similac Isomil. So I'm assuming they all have similar ingredients. And it's USDA organic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Earth's Best Organic, according to its site, found no traces in their recent testing, just FYI

http://www.earthsbest.com/press/formula-safety.php

Thank you! You are very resourceful! This was THE most helpful post. If you click on store locations, you can do a product search by zip code. But call the store first b/c they are running out quickly. The soy doesn't sell out as fast - good for me! But the milk-based products are going quickly. I compared ingredients - same as Similac Isomil. So I'm assuming they all have similar ingredients. And it's USDA organic.

Chances are very good that they haven't tested enough or for long enough or they would have found some already. Don't get wound up about trace chemicals. They are in the air you breathe, the water you drink (including bottled), in your organic foods, your medicines -- everything. The thing about trace chemicals is that yes, they are everywhere, but they do not cause problems.

[Anonymous]

This Melamine thing is very confusing. I have an 8 month old son who eats almost everything despite having no teeth (two bottom ones are starting to peak out). We also give him about 24-30 oz of Enfamil Lipil with Iron a day. I was really upset when I read the article that specifically names Enfamil Lipil as containing the Melamine. I called my pediatrician and he told me I need to do what made me sleep well at night. He told me that there was nothing wrong with switching my baby to whole milk (16-20 oz. max per day) since he was eating so well (eats broccoli, chicken, asparagus, all fruits, etc). He did suggest organic which is what we try to feed him when practical. However, we are traveling abroad and I had bought enough Enfamil for the trip because i wasn't sure I could get the Enfamil there. Now I don't know what to to. There are pros and cons to both. I am exploring the Earth's Best option and we will probably go with that. I know that years ago we drank whole milk as early as 6 months and I would say most of us are normal. However, I agree that there are a lot of pollutants in the air, but if we can minimize them, why not. I think the FDA and the Johnson Mean (Enfamil folks) are very irresponsible. It wasn't until AP did a FIOA (freedom of information act) request that this information was made public. Why are the FDA and companies like Johnson Mead not making this information public so each and everyone of us can make the best decision for our children??? Greed!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This Melamine thing is very confusing. I have an 8 month old son who eats almost everything despite having no teeth (two bottom ones are starting to peak out). We also give him about 24-30 oz of Enfamil Lipil with Iron a day. I was really upset when I read the article that specifically names Enfamil Lipil as containing the Melamine. I called my pediatrician and he told me I need to do what made me sleep well at night. He told me that there was nothing wrong with switching my baby to whole milk (16-20 oz. max per day) since he was eating so well (eats broccoli, chicken, asparagus, all fruits, etc). He did suggest organic which is what we try to feed him when practical. However, we are traveling abroad and I had bought enough Enfamil for the trip because i wasn't sure I could get the Enfamil there. Now I don't know what to to. There are pros and cons to both. I am exploring the Earth's Best option and we will probably go with that. I know that years ago we drank whole milk as early as 6 months and I would say most of us are normal. However, I agree that there are a lot of pollutants in the air, but if we can minimize them, why not. I think the FDA and the Johnson Mean (Enfamil folks) are very irresponsible. It wasn't until AP did a FIOA (freedom of information act) request that this information was made public. Why are the FDA and companies like Johnson Mead not making this information public so each and everyone of us can make the best decision for our children??? Greed!!!

Switch to Similac made by Abbott Labs. Yes, there were also traces of melamine in Similac formula, but it was so small, so insignificant, that most children probably inhale more just in daily pollutants alone.

excerpt:
And while the FDA said tests of 18 samples of formula made by Abbott Laboratories, including its Similac brand, did not detect melamine, spokesman Colin McBean said some company tests did find the chemical. He did not identify the specific product or the number of positive tests. McBean did say the detections were at levels far below the health limits set by all countries in the world, including Taiwan, where the limit is 0.05 parts per million."We're talking about trace amounts right here, and you know there's a lot of scientific bodies out there that say low levels of melamine are always present in certain types of foods," said McBean.

Think about it this way: If they had the need to test melamine a year ago, they'd find the same results. It was only b/c of the China scare that they conducted the tests. Years ago, I'm sure my daughter ingested the substance in small amounts, too. Our pediatrician said not to worry - and to not go overboard on organic products b/c their regulatory rules are not as strict, believe it or not. Furthermore, even if you go the Earth's Best route, how does that company clean its equipment? If they use alternative substances, are you risking introducing other bacteria to your child's diet? On the whole milk discussion, my friend introduced all three kids to cow's milk at 10 months, and all three are doing well. When I was an infant 40+ years ago, I ate scrambled eggs at 3 months! I have not one food allergy! And my health, knock wood, is good.

[Anonymous]

PP here again - This is what you risk when you attempt to avoid certain chemicals altogether:

http://commonlaw.findlaw.com/2007/02/health_warning_.html

Health Warning on Recalled Baby Food

Consumers should not use certain jars of Earth's Best Organic 2 Apple Peach Barley Wholesome Breakfast baby food, because of the risk of contamination with a bacterium which can cause botulism, a life-threatening illness or death, according to a warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Hain Celestial Group, manufacturer of the affected baby food, initiated a recall of the affected products on February 9, 2007, and the recall is still in effect.

No illnesses have been reported to FDA or the manufacturer to date in connection with this problem. Botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning, usually causes illness within 18-36 hours of exposure. Caregivers or people observing any unusual health problems in babies or others who have come into contact with the affected baby food should seek immediate medical attention for those affected.

Consumers are warned not to use the affected jars of baby food, even if the food does not look or smell spoiled. If consumers have any of the specified jars in their home, they should not use it and destroy it immediately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband informed me about this this morning. His instant reaction was "we need to stop feeding the baby formula". This is easier said than done. The melanine is apparently in almost everything. I phoned my doc as well as the poison control (per my docs instructions - I think he was just giving me another opinion to go to). Apparently the issue here is that the FDA has previously reported that "no amount of melanine is acceptable". According to their previous guidance, the allowable limits are less than 250 parts per billion are considered safe. According to my doc and the poison control, the limits discovered are significantly under 250 ppb. The China issue was because they were adding the melanine to the formula to increase the protein count. I admit, I was in a tailspin when I found out, but unfortunately, the current environment we live in contains excessive pollutants in various forms. We are continuing to keep our son on the Enfamil at this time.

I called our pediatrician who said that there are worse things to avoid - such as feeding organic spinach to babies and exposing them to E Coli. He said that the melamine is in such small amounts that the babies will expel it from their bodies.

My husband said this, which makes sense: Ten years ago, they could have tested for melamine and found nothing - NOT because the poison was absent but b/c we didn't have the capability to test for such small amounts. Furthermore, he heard that it was found in milk-based formulas. So I am wondering about the amounts in soy-based formulas.

I'm certain they began testing shortly after the China incident. So who knows how much melamine was present in other formulas that children drank in past years? And I am in agreement with the PP's statement I bolded. We are all exposed to chemicals each day. There is melamine, for example, in cleaning solutions. So if you're wiping down a countertop and you put a piece of food on it, you're ingesting it in small amounts. Furthermore, I remember hearing about tests done on breast milk and all of the chemicals found in it.

Maybe I'm just trying to make myself sound better, but I am trying not to be an alarmist in this case. Listen to the FDA reports instead of the news, as the news tends to sensationalize these stories.

Interesting that your pedi mentioned organic spinach. About a week ago, my friend who is a pediatrician told me to stay away from Whole Foods' frozen organic spinach - because it's all grown in CHINA. I am disgusted with Whole Foods. I would love to see their spinach tested by the FDA.

[Anonymous]

Looks like the FDA screwed up their report -- Melamine is found in Nestle GoodStart and cyanuric acid (essentially chlorine) was found in Enfamil Lipil.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27914218/

I'm furious about the whole damn thing!

[Anonymous]

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/melamine.html

November 28, 2008: FDA’s ongoing investigation continues to show that the domestic supply of infant formula is safe and that consumers can continue using U.S. manufactured infant formulas. FDA has concluded that levels of melamine alone or cyanuric acid alone, at or below 1 part per million (ppm) in infant formula do not raise public health concerns. FDA has updated its interim risk assessment, issued in early October, with this information: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/melamra4.html.

The FDA has been collecting and analyzing samples of domestically manufactured infant formula for the presence of melamine and melamine-related compounds. To date, FDA tests have found extremely low levels of melamine in one infant formula sample and extremely low levels of cyanuric acid in another. The levels were so low (well below 1 ppm) that they do not pose a health risk to infants: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/melamine/testresults.html.

Melamine is not naturally occurring and is not approved to be directly added to food in the United States. However, melamine is approved for use as part of certain food contact substances. Low levels of melamine are present in the environment and trace amounts may occur in certain food commodities as a result of approved uses.
Parents using infant formula should continue using U.S. manufactured infant formula. Switching away from using one of these infant formulas to alternate diets or home-made formulas could result in infants not receiving the complete nutrition required for proper growth and development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here again - This is what you risk when you attempt to avoid certain chemicals altogether:

http://commonlaw.findlaw.com/2007/02/health_warning_.html

Health Warning on Recalled Baby Food

Consumers should not use certain jars of Earth's Best Organic 2 Apple Peach Barley Wholesome Breakfast baby food, because of the risk of contamination with a bacterium which can cause botulism, a life-threatening illness or death, according to a warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Hain Celestial Group, manufacturer of the affected baby food, initiated a recall of the affected products on February 9, 2007, and the recall is still in effect.

This recall and report is dated Feb 2007. It doesn't really seem timely.

You do have a point, that even foods grown organically can be improperly processed. Botulism is always a concern with low-acid canned foods, no mater how they were grown. Growing these vegetables and fruits with chemical fertilizers will not eliminate the risk of botulism.

[Anonymous]

Apparently the melamine that is in cattle feed can pass into cow's milk. This is what happened in South Africa. I am wondering if in the US, our grocery store milk is tested for melamine? What do we feed our cows? Is there melamine in their feed?

http://www.flex-news-food.com/pages/20732/Baby/Chemical/Food-Safety/Milk/Nestle/South-Africa/nestle-says-contaminated-animal-feed-responsible-melamine-baby-milk.html

28 Nov, 2008 - Nestle has said that contaminated animal feed was responsible for levels of melamine discovered in two brands of its formula milk in South Africa – giving credence to the possibility that the industrial chemical may be able to cross from the feed to the food chain.

The statement by Nestle, the world’s largest food and nutrition company, runs against the belief held by many experts and food safety bodies that melamine ingested by animals does not pass into the food chain, as reported exclusively by Feedinfo News Service. It challenges the perception that the industrial chemical is either excreted by the animal or is diluted to such an extent that any remaining traces are practically undetectable in human food.

Also this article:

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=125&art_id=vn20081128115342180C289749

"We take cognisance of the steps that Nestlé has taken to ensure that every batch of raw material, as well as finished product, is within international guidelines, subsequent to industry becoming aware of melamine contamination, internationally in September this year," Broughton said.

"It is our considered view that there was no intentional adulteration of the milk itself that was been used in these products and that the source of the melamine was in fact in the cattle feed," Broughton said.