Melamine limit in milk to be capped

PUNE: In a first for the country, the national food safety regulator has proposed to cap melamine content in milk and related products.

In a notification, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a permissible limit of 1mg of melamine in every kg of powdered infant formula, 0.15mg per kg in liquid infant formula and 2.5mg per kg in other foods. The regulator has also sought suggestions and objections from public on the same.

"The move comes under the Food Safety and Standards (contaminants, toxins and residues) Regulations, 2011, relating to residues. The move will help the implementing machinery like Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to keep check and take appropriate action if the limit exceeds the ceiling," said Dilip Sangat, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Pune.

Shivkumar Kodgire, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, said, "The FSSAI has proposed that limits should be fixed for melamine as experts have expressed concerns about the presence of such chemicals in various milk products."

When added to food products, melamine can cause kidney stones and abnormalities leading to kidney failure.

In 2008, melamine was found in the products of 22 Chinese dairy companies and resulted in a global outcry about the standards of food safety in China

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) banned import of Chinese milk products in September 2008. The ban has been extended every year since then

The FSSAI has been created for laying down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.