I have a strange question! My roommate's cat loves to eat adhesives.

He will eat anything with packing tape. He will puncture and start licking Elmer's glue and puncture the bottle with his teeth. He is well fed and relatively healthy, but I am wondering he is missing something in his diet?

I am wanting a material to use as a lid for a garden box. The position of the box gets a lot of sunshine and many materials warp in the heat. I will also need my material to be waterproof. Is Melamine the answer?

Many thanks Dee

Melamine was added, from what I understand, to pet foods because it was cheaper than protein and it has protein in it.

Re. melamine resin tableware, there has been research showing that both melamine and formaldehyde migrate out of the product when used with a mild acid (such as food acids?) and heated to sub 100 deg C (heating foods for children?). I was hoping to find that melamine resin tableware was a safer option than softer plastics (sources of xenoestrogens)... I wonder what melamine products do in hot dishwater ...

Re. melamine shelving, I would think that the particleboard core, being a source of formaldehyde outgassing (which seems to continue for the life of the product) is more of an issue for health than the melamine shell...

Melamine should not be confused with melamine resin. Melamine resin contains melamine in a manner similar to table salt containing chlorine.

While melamine is dangerous to ingest, melamine resin is not.

Melamine is the chemical that has been contaminating pet-food lately.

Melamine resin is the thermoplastic from which plastic-ware, counter-tops, etc are made.

I like to know the step by step manufacturing process of making melamine from urea and formaldehyde and glazing powder process. pls guide me with the required machinery details and the machinery manufacturer

I heard that melamine is used in the adhesive that holds paper coffee cups together and that, when hot liquid like coffee hits it, that it melts a little into the beverage. Are people really getting poisoned every time they drink from a paper cup?

You may find some further info on Melamine if you google it. There is information about out-gassing, which is often a concern for some these days. This is mostly for those who want to "go green" I believe is the term for using all natural materials in construction.

10-30-07

thePinkPanther

I am a General Contractor and am curious if melamine shelving poses any risks to my clients. Melamine products have become increasingly popular for closet organizers and shelving. One of my clients expressed concern about the toxicity of the material and I didn't know how to respond. Is it possible for toxins to "seep" out of the material, or must you ingest it to be of any harm? I fear the greatest danger would be to the carpenters that breathe the sawdust, but I would like to confidently assure my client that her new closet organizer won't be hazardous to her health. Thanks, Mike

Can someone please address the safety of melamine dishware, especially that made for infants?

i bought fish food containing melamine and with in a couple of hours my fish started to die. now how can this be safe when i called the manufacture they said this product was recalled 2 months ago but it is still on store shelves.

A week ago, my seven year old dog beloved Sheba, was put to rest after a brief diagnois of TOXIC RENAL FAILURE. Her Creatine level climbed to over 9.0 on her last day.

It's been a heart breaking event.

I have been overly insistent with FDA & the ISDH, insisting then to test the remaining product of dog treats, that are NOT on the recall list.

However, after numerous calls, there is a big box store out there that has pulled the product off the shelf, until testing of the product is completed. After I was told that there were several other complaints, and reports that were called in due to similar medical problems.

In my eyes, the source could only be these treats.

These from China.

They are the only ONE thing that was added to her diet, the week before.

Whose BRILLIANT idea was it to mix animal urine and formaldehyde together in order to make a product for human use? Simply put, this is sheer, intentional evil. I'm on a search for a simple, dual printer shelf and discover that most pieces are proudly labeled 'melamine laminated'. Scratch resistant yes, but my GOD. I wonder how much of this toxic material (and others) I already have in my home.

Sorry, I didn't want to sign up. As a past member of the FFA, When buying livestock for the fairs, we needed livestock that didn't have growth hormones or antibiotics. I grew up pretty sequestered, on a ranch, and was shocked to start to see what "our" government allowed on the market as "food" for human consumption. Now this. It sickens me that our own government allows this to happen. Formaldehyde, WTF??? Embalming fluid. My one last nerve is about to snap.

Kitty.

I have an article form the Cleveland Plain Dealer which says that an Ohio firm named Tembec (supposed to be an Industrial supply firm) has been selling melamine laden feed ingredients to Uniscope of Johnstown Colorado. This food has been consumed by livestock and fish in the U.S.

Of course we know that melamine is not perfectly safe for fish and mammals to eat. Don't we have a Pure Food and Drug Act?

What goes into an animal's body becomes dispersed amongst all tissues and contaminates their meat. The meat of our bodies then can come up with some strange responses because of that contamination. Where has common sense gone in our society when we allow people to eat PLASTIC RESINS. The free market system is way too free and other countries don't have OUR best interests at heart and it seems that even our own FDA has been turning it's head and allowing our food supply to be contaminated.

The American People deserve better than that. Where are the tax dollars going that are supposed to protect us against this? This is our right to a safe food supply, the most basic of rights.

Melamine tableware is good.

I heard a report that melamine, combined with other components of cat urine, formed crystals in their kidneys and ureters, leading to death. This contradicts the repeated references to ammonia toxicity as the culprit.

I also heard that melamine has now also been detected in farm-raised fish intended for human consumption. That now makes fish, poultry and pigs, all intended for human consumption, and which may, in fact, have already been consumed by humans, that have been tainted with this poison. The FDA and Dept. of Agriculture are obviously doing a lousy job of protecting the public health and safety.

The further irony exists that the Senate on Monday denied legislation that would have allowed the purchase of prescription drugs, at great savings in cost, from abroad. The rationale given was that the safety and quality of these drugs could not be assured, which seems ridiculous as they could be subject to the same scrutiny and testing as are domestic drugs. The undoubted truth behind this latest insult to the American public is the interests of the powerful drug lobby and the politicos it controls. I say ironic because these drugs, intended for use by a limited segment of the population, are denied entry into the country for alleged reasons of "safety", while food and food components from abroad that may affect significantly greater numbers of our population are allowed in, and with potential disaster the result.

I cannot even understand why America, "the world's breadbasket" should have to import products such as wheat gluten, considering our own "amber waves of grain" and capacity for food production, and the further irony that farmers are paid tax dollars NOT to plant crops.

Considering the incompetence and greed that pull the strings of our daily existence, the terrorists that would do us harm, it would seem, might just sit back and watch us do ourselves in! Heaven help us.

I have been consuming very large amounts of the most inexpensive protein powder (labeled as mostly from milk whey) that I bought either at Lindberg Nutrition or Trader Joe's. It was my primary source of protein and I was following an Atkins-like diet.

At the same time, my kidneys have been deteriorating enough to alarm my primary physician. I put one and one together and stopped taking the supplements. What do you know, my kidney function is improving.

I'm not saying that this proves there is anything wrong with these supplements, but I definitely think someone should buy some samples and test them.

It seems to me that if chickens consumed melamine tainted feed, once it enters their digestive system the chemical melamine would be broken down by enzymes, leading to the ammonia by-product. The ammonia then enters the blood steam and poisons the bird, or any other of the animals (pigs). So if a human ate a chicken or pig that ate malamine tainted feed there would actually be no melamine in the animals muscle tissues, perhaps a high concentration of NH4 in some vital organs. Of course this assumes melamine is h2o souluble and too large to freely pass digestive membranes.

What no one has stated on this site is that it is highly suspected that the Chinese Company most likely added the Melamine to boost the Protein content measurement in order to charge a higher price for a product that ( fraudulently ) had a higher Protein rating. A higher Protein rating equalled a higher profit for the company selling it - even though it did not have an actual higher Protein rating due to quality Meat or Vegetable components - but instead, from an Industrial Chemical used to "cheat the system."

It is also suspected ( has been stated ) that the Chinese Company did not label the Food Product as a Food Product - to avoid inspections as it went through the customs chain.

And lastly - The Chinese Food System is woefully inadequate in safety - and mass problems with sicknesses and food poisonings, etc... are actually quite common in China, sadly.

If the digestion of melamine results in ammonia, which is associated with renal failure, then why on Earth are we using it as human food additives? Hopefully, this tragic situation can open a lot of eyes!

my sons dogs went into kidney failure from the food, my pregnant dog ate it for 3 days while he was watching her, her puppies were deformed, out of the 3 one lived and to my astonishment, he has no eyes (anopthalimia) which is not conclusive but is said to be caused from pesticides, toxins, and chemicals.

Thanks for such a clear explanation! No newspaper article I read showed the connection between the melamine & renal failure.

If a human were to consume chicken or pork that is tanted by melamine, what type of side affects could be possible?

is melamine in rice gluten used at sushi bars

The FDA is saying Melamine is safe, but they do not know anything about it, so they say to keep eating the pork and chicken that they know it has gotten into. This has been happening since December or February, depending on who one talks with.

How can it be safe, if they do not know anything about it?

Yea, sure just keep eating and buying contaminated products... if it kills you or your kids, we are sure it could not be that, or could it?

I was prompted to look up melamine, leading me to your site, after reading an article today on the MSN.com website. Melamine has now been found in chicken feed at 38 farms in Indiana. The article presents that the chickens fed with the tainted feed have already been released into the human consumption market. Where these chickens were sent have not yet been determined and is still under investigation by the Department of Argriculture and the FDA. Now what?

My 6yr young healthy cat ate this tainted food and now we no longer have our beloved feline friend. Shame on the United States for letting this happen. Why don't we produce our own grains and rice. Why does everything have to be imported. This is the problem with this nation and why these things happen. And Shame on all these pet food companies for not buying American.

From A very angry pet owner

To the person who said their cat was coughing a lot - this is from a state of New York website: "There is no antidote for ammonia poisoning, but ammonia's effects can be treated, and most victims recover. People who experience serious signs and symptoms (such as severe or constant coughing, or burns in the throat) may need hospital care."

Here is the hard link: www.health.state.ny.us/environmental/ emergency/chemical_terrorism/ammonia_general.htm

The article pertains to someone who has swallowed a high concentration of ammonia, all at once, so this may not be related to a case where animals swallow a little. It seems to me, however, that the prudent thing to do would be to check with your vet. Hope this helps.

I own an independent pet supply store and it is becoming a MAJOR conceern about what to tell my customers to feed their pets. What is going on in this crazy society that we can not even be safe feeding our pets?

how can i tell what cookware has melamine in it

Does yogurt contain melamine?

What is the chemical or generic name of Melamine? How would it show on a food label such as power bar or high protein powder?

I am hearing rumors that menamine is used in food intended for human consumption. Specifically mentioned were power bars and high protein powders used by sports enthusiasts. Is there any truth in this?

Can melamine be removed from organic systems?

What is going on with the melamine in pig feed? Is this going to pose a threat to humans who eat pork from pigs that have eaten contaminated feed?

Royal Canin has just recalled several of its dry pet food containing rice protein concentrate, found also to be laced with melamine. Check their website.

The article is presumably incomplete because it doesn't explain HOW animals are being poisoned due to melamine. From other sources, when melamine is heated and nitrogen is released, at least two chemicals remain as a result of the heating: a muscle stimulant and AMMONIA. It's the ammonia that is heavily suspected to be the poison that is making animals ill and killing them. Animals that die from ingestions of melamine tainted substances have symptoms identical to ammonia poisoning.

Eyeball Kid.

How does Melamine effect cats, and is it deadly?

My cat eats the same type of food as the latest pet food intoxicated with melamine, Royal Canin. He has been coughing ALOT lately, and he never has before. Are the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Dry Foods affected? If so, would Melamine be the cause for me cat's coughing? What can I do to help?

Is Melmine toxic for humans? I read the news about the contamination of melmine in some pet canned foods (I've no idea about the dry colored food, a lot of pets died (specially cats), China uses this melamine as herbicidal, and a wheta gluten batch was contaminated with that for that reason some pet food got contaminated, is safe to use melamine?

Isnt it melamine that is the culprit being found in the rice and wheat gluten of pet foods being recalled? I heard it was a poisonous fertilzer material but this does not sound like a fertilizer. Its causing kidney failure in our pets. Please comment.

Joanna

Is it possible for some "Melamine" kitchenware (i.e. plates, bowls, etc.) to be heat resistant enough to be washed in the dishwasher while other melamine kitchen ware can not?