Thermo Fisher Scientific to offer testing systems for melamine as WHO sets tolerable daily intake

Published: 10-Dec-2008

Thermo Fisher Scientific is to assist government and food testing laboratories in the development of methods for the analysis of melamine in food products imported from China as experts establish a tolerable daily intake (TDI) for the product.


Thermo Fisher is responding to the recent alert issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which includes specific guidelines for product testing as well as requirements that need to be met before a detained product can be released.

Melamine and its byproduct cyanuric acid have been linked to food contamination in milk-based products and food additives.

Thermo Fisher's testing method is based on a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (TSQ Quantum LC-MS/MS) system. It is currently being used as a reference by the labs under the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) in China to develop an LC-MS/MS method of detecting melamine in milk and infant formula.

Meanwhile, international experts have established a tolerable daily intake (TDI) for melamine at 0.2mg/kg body weight, which is lower than previous TDIs suggested by some national food safety authorities.

This TDI applies solely to melamine. The TDI for cyanuric acid remains at 1.5mg/kg body weight. Co-occurrence of melamine with cyanuric acid seems to be more toxic, however WHO said data are not adequate to allow the calculation of a health-based guidance value for this co-exposure.

The TDI is meant to help national authorities set safe limits in food for withdrawal purposes should melamine be detected as a result of intentional adulteration.

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