Melamine found in UK in Chinese soya imports

Tuesday 30 November 1999

(Also see earlier report on Melamine in Milk Products)

GAFTA has been notified by the FSA that traces of melamine have been found in the UK in Chinese imports of organic soya expeller for feed use. The FSA is now awaiting the results of a risk assessment due to be carried out this week to determine the levels of melamine contained in the consignments of soya expeller from China.

Feed business operators are now required to cease all use of and quarantine any supplies from China of soya expeller in their possession and have the material sampled for the presence of melamine, in accordance with Articles 15, 17, 18 and 20 of EU Regulation 178/2002 on the general principles of food law. Feed business operators are also advised to consider quarantining and testing any other feed products in their possession which originate from China before they are put into the feed chain given the widespread nature of the contamination.

GAFTA would like to remind you that under Commission Decision 2008/798 imposing conditions governing the import of milk products from China, products containing more than 2.5mg/kg melamine must be withdrawn from the EU market and destroyed (see attachment).

In China melamine has been found not only in milk and milk products but also in pet feed, soya meal, wheat and corn gluten, cottonseed meal and more recently in eggs (possibly via poultry feed).

GAFTA has been informed that the EU will now test milk containing products and may test other high protein products such as feed originating from China.

Using extraction and analysis based on the FERN method Eclipse can quantify melamine to levels of 0.5mg/kg, complying with limits 2.5mg/kg and 1mg/kg for children under 3 and pregnant or lactating mothers.

Fast track turnarounds are available and rates for services are negotiable based on numbers of samples and service required.

Please contact Eclipse Scientific Group by telephone on 0845 2309910, or international +441354 695858, or email sales@eclipsescientific.co.uk