Melamine - Health Ministry allays fears

By Shanika SRIYANANDA

The melamine scare that increased every one's heartbeat during the last few days, seems to be receding with the latest endorsement of the Ministry of Health, which says that 27 milk powder and milk based products are free of melamine.

Samples of infant milk powder, full cream milk powder, chocolates, biscuits and cereals were sent to Singapore and India for testing for melamine and 27 products are found to be safe for consumption.

The Assistant Director of the Food Administration Unit P. Madarasinghe assured that there was no melamine risk in Sri Lanka so far. He told the 'Sunday Observer' that though the two containers full of milk based products detained at the ports are free of melamine, the stock will not be released soon until the importers produce another report.

He said that the cost to test melamine in a single sample would cost US $ 300 but the importers, distributors and manufacturers volunteered to pay the cost of testing. "For milk based products it will take at least 14 days to get the test reports", he said.

Madarasinghe said that the Ministry of Health with the instructions of the Food Advisory Committee has taken all possible steps to detect melamine. He said that though the country lacks laboratory facilities for testing melamine, the tests are being done in six laboratories including the Government Analytis Department in the country to check the protein content of the milk. He said if the protein levels were high in a particular milk powder or a milk based product there is a risk of melamine contamination. "Then we will send the particular samples abroad for further testing", he said. Meanwhile the Technical Committee under the Ministry will regularly scrutinise all the reports for melamine.

The Melamine contamination surfaced from China with some infant deaths and thousands of small children falling sick, especially causing kidney damages, after drinking melamine tainted milk. The major milk food producers were accused of adding melamine, which is used to manufacture fabrics, plastics and glue, to enrich milk production higher protein levels.