Normally used in the manufacture of plastic and fertilizers, melamine is a compound composed of nitrogen, carbon and hydrogen. It was invented in the 1830s by a German scientist, and became a fashionable material for plastic household goods and laminates in the late 1930s. When combined with formaldehyde and exposed to extreme heat, melamine creates a moldable material that is virtually unbreakable once cooled.And therein lies the most obvious health problem. As explained in a recent article in the journal Eurosurveillance:
“Melamine, when associated with cyanuric acid, can cause renal failure by the formation of insoluble melamine cyanurate crystals in renal tubules and/or the formation of calculi in kidneys, ureter, urethra or the urinary bladder. These calculi are a mixture of melamine, protein, uric acid and phosphate and as such are distinct from other kidney stones.”Cyanuric acid is a white, odorless solid, used as a component in bleaches, disinfectants, and herbicides. The FDA also permits a certain amount of cyanuric acid to be present in some non-protein nitrogen (NPN) additives used in animal feed and drinking water. In water, cyanuric acid is mainly used as a precursor to N-chlorinated cyanurates, which are used as disinfectants.When melamine combines with the cyanuric acid, it forms fine, insoluble, and unbreakable little “plastic stones,” which your body cannot dispose of.Additionally, there is evidence that melamine is carcinogenic under conditions that produce bladder stones in animals. And yet they insist that this compound is more or less harmless to humans. In the European Union, the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of melamine is 0.5 mg/kg body weight, even though studies to evaluate the real risks of melamine on human health are lacking.
Symptoms of Melamine Toxicity
China and other countries like Canada and the U.S. have reported melamine contamination of milk-containing products, including infant formula, commercially sold milk, frozen yogurt dessert, coffee creamer, ice-cream, chocolate, toffees, cookies and candies. The following symptoms have been observed in infants affected by infant formula laced with high amounts of melamine:
- Unexplained fever arising from urinary tract infections
- Unexplained crying in infants, especially when urinating, possible vomiting
- Small amounts of blood in the urine
- Acute obstructive renal failure
- Pain on urinating, and passage of stones while urinating
- High blood pressure
- Edema
- Pain over the kidneys
It would certainly be wise to visit your physician if your child exhibits any of these symptoms. The melamine “stones” will show up on x-rays.There are also an estimated 27 million Americans suffering from chronic kidney disease, who would want to take extra precautions with the foods they consume, in light of this disturbing contamination trend.
Bottom Line
The bottom line here is: know where your food comes from and how it’s produced. This may sound like an impossible task, and in many cases it will be. Particularly if you depend on processed and commercially farmed foods.However, if you purchase your raw dairy, grass-fed meats, and free-range eggs from local farmers that adhere to organic farming practices, you can eliminate much of these worries since their livestock must be put out to pasture and eat what God intended for most part of the year, instead of relying on potentially contaminated animal feed.This reference page contains links to a long list of organizations that can help you find local sources for high quality organic foods.
Deceptive "Protein" Toxin is Becoming More Widely Spread in Your Food
First baby milk formula, then dairy-based products from yogurt to chocolate, and now chicken eggs have been contaminated with melamine.
An admission that the industrial chemical is regularly added to animal feed in China has fueled fears that the problem could be more widespread, affecting fish, meat and possibly many other foods.Melamine is rich in nitrogen, which means that it gives low-quality food and feed artificially high protein readings. But extremely high levels of melamine can cause kidney stones, and in some cases can bring on life-threatening kidney failure.However, there have been no tests on melamine's precise effects in humans.
Until the contaminated baby formula became public in a few months ago, there was never any reason to. The situation has left consumers worldwide, particularly parents, worried about food products from China, and even those made elsewhere with ingredients imported from Chinese companies.
Sources: ABC News October 31, 2008
China Tainted Milk Crisis Triggers Global Recalls
Melamine, an industrial chemical that made its way into China's dairy supplies, has been blamed in the death of four babies and the illnesses of 53,000 others. Now it has turned up in numerous Chinese-made exports, ranging from candies to yogurt to rice balls.
The British supermarket chain Tesco has removed Chinese-made White Rabbit Creamy Candies off its shelves as a precaution, as reports from Singapore and New Zealand state that the candy tested positive for melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizer.
Health experts say melamine can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure. Infants are particularly vulnerable. More than a dozen countries have now banned or recalled Chinese dairy products.
Sources: Washington Post September 24, 2008
Another Reason Not to Eat Farmed Fish
As if people needed any more reasons to avoid them, reports have surfaced that farmed fish have been fed food contaminated with melamine, the very same chemical linked to the ongoing pet food recall disaster.
And, like previous incidents involving pets, melamine was added to the Canadian-made fish feed (wheat flour) to deceive fish farms into believing it contained higher amounts of protein than it really did.
Once again, Dr. David Acheson, the FDA's newly appointed "food protection czar," attempted to tone down all the worry about melamine, speculating the level of melamine is "expected" to be too low to pose any danger to human health. Just the same, fish samples are now being screened for melamine, just in case. So, that report about Asian fish farms using chicken feces for food doesn't seem so far-fetched after all...
Without exposure to toxins, not to mention mercury, fish would be a near-perfect source for the omega-3 fats your body needs. You can get the same nutritional benefits -- without the toxins -- by taking a high-quality fish or krill oil daily.
Sea Lice Infects Fish Farms, Kills Wild Salmon
Not only does mercury take its harmful toll on fish -- once upon a time among the healthiest foods one could eat -- so does farming them.
Unfortunately, scientists are finally getting a clue about the devastating effect of fish farming. The sea lice growing in adult farmed salmon kills almost all the wild juvenile salmon that migrate past fish farms during certain times of the year, according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
In a natural setting, adult salmon infected by sea lice would already be far away from shorelines before juvenile salmon migrate out to sea. Fish farms, however, place adult salmon in pens along migration routes, creating clouds of sea lice that juveniles must navigate through. It takes only one or two sea lice to kill a juvenile salmon.
Moreover, during the time in the migration season when the sea lice population was at its highest, as much as 95 percent of the juvenile salmon was eliminated, provoking concerns from one expert about the prospect of creating a human disease via practices like fish farming.
What all of this means to you: Unless the salmon you purchase has been lab-tested and free of contaminants, protect your health by avoiding it.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 4, 2006 Free Full Text PDF
If you've ever eaten farmed fish, you may not want to know the answer to the question posed in the headline above. The use of chicken feces as feed is common in integrated livestock-fish farming, which also involves the transfer of pig and duck waste directly to fish farms.An international group of bird conservationists believes that this practice -- which is routine in Asia -- may be responsible for the spread of the avian flu.Some believe the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, which oversees this practice, may have been aware for some time that there were serious health risks involved with mixing farmed fish and animal feces.
Sources:The Independent December 28, 2005
You may not realize that the vast majority of fish served in most restaurants are not wild fish but farm raised. Typically, only seafood specialty restaurants tend to have access to the more expensive wild-caught fish.So even though there is not a big sign on your menu, it is likely you are consuming farm-raised fish with the feces issue and potential for infections when you think you have ordered something "healthy." This is most unfortunate as wild fish raised in uncontaminated waters is clearly one of the healthiest foods in the world for most people.The practice of feeding feces, and possibly contaminated feces at that, to farmed fish is disturbing, but not particularly surprising. The practice increases fish growth and therefore profits, and when health and profit collide, health is usually the loser.Conditions at fish farms are like conditions at factory farms everywhere: overcrowded, sickly, infected animals being fed whatever it takes to grow them as large as possible in as short a time as possible. Fish farm techniques are causing disease to be spread even to wild fish, such as by infecting wild baby salmon with sea lice. Without exposure to infections and toxins -- and don't forget mercury -- fish would be nearly a perfect food. With conditions as they are, though, both farmed and wild fish should be avoided. Choose to get most of omega-3 fats from fish oil or cod liver oil. If you want to get the same nutritional benefits, but without the dangers, It is strongly recommend taking a high-quality fish or cod liver oil daily.
Promoting Sustainable Agriculture
Consumers are paying a high cost for substandard, cheap factory food. The following links are working on different areas but all have the same goal - to support sustainable agriculture. There are far too many groups to mention here (apologies to those we missed). Be sure to find local sustainable agricultural groups in your area as many of them hold extremely informative annual meetings where you can meet local farmers. Depending upon your area of interest, familiarize yourself with any or all of the following links.· If you are concerned about the quality of the food you are buying at the grocery store, some of the following links will help guide to healthier more humane choices through local farms.· If you are interested in stopping factory farming, some of the following links will help show you how to get involved.· If you are a farmer who is interested in producing food for consumers, there are links below that will help show you how.· Some of the following links will also be able to provide scientific literature supporting the benefits of sustainable agriculture.
It is important to understand the impact you have when you spend your money on factory food. Changing your shopping patterns by supporting local agriculture will not only help improve your health, it will also help improve the environment and bring back our rural communities.
Price-Pottenger Foundation
The Price-Pottenger Foundation has supported sustainable agriculture for over 50 years. They have preserved a collection of over 10,000 books and publications, spanning over 200 years of research from most of the great nutrition pioneers of our time, including that of William A. Albrecht, MS, PhD.
The foundation is currently working on posting their archives online, and deveoping an education program available for people world-wide.
Weston A. Price Foundation
The Foundation is dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. It supports accurate nutrition instruction, organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and informative labeling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies.
Slow Food
The association's activities seek to defend biodiversity in our food supply, spread the education of taste, and link producers of excellent foods to consumers through events and initiatives.
Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance
The Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance is an advocate for the many thousands of independent farmers, ranchers, livestock owners, and homesteaders in this country.
Eat Wild
Eatwild.com is an excellent source for safe, healthy, natural and nutritious grass-fed beef, lamb, goats, bison, poultry, pork and dairy products.
The Meatrix
An excellent flash presentation about factory farming and links about what you can do about it.
Food Routes
The FoodRoutes Find Good Food map can help you connect with local farmers and start eating the freshest, tastiest food around. Find your local food on their interactive map, listing farmers, CSAs, and local markets near you.
Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE)· Grace Factory Farm Project
The GRACE Factory Farm Project (GFFP) works to create a sustainable food production system that is healthful and humane, economically viable, and environmentally sound.·
Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals
The Eat Well Guide is a free, online directory of sustainably-raised meat, poultry, dairy and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns and hotels, and online outlets in the US and Canada.·
Sustainable Table
Helping consumers make healthy food choices to create a sustainable system.· Sustainable Food In Schools
If you don't like the food being served in your or your child's cafeteria, do something to change it! Includes guidelines on what to do, how to do it, and examples of successful initiatives underway around the country.
Local Harvest
This website will help you find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably-grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.
Farmers Markets
National listing of farmers markets.
Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture
The Kerr Center was established to provide farmers and ranchers in the area with free technical assistance and information on how to improve their operations. Wise stewardship was emphasized.
National Farm to School
Farm to School programs are popping up all over the U.S. These programs connect schools with local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing health and nutrition education opportunities that will last a lifetime, and supporting local small farmers.
Farm to College
This site presents information about farm-to-college programs in the U.S. and Canada collected by the Community Food Security Coalition.
Center for Food and Justice: Farm to Hospital
The CFJ has a program Farm to Hospital: Promoting Health and Supporting Local Agriculture.
Farm to Cafeteria: Community Food Security Coalition
Putting Local Food on the Table: Farms and Food Service in Partnership
Farm to school programs have been addressing the dual issues of improving children's health and providing new marketing options for family farmers.
Food Security Coalition
The Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC) is a North American organization dedicated to building strong, sustainable, local and regional food systems that ensure access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food for all people at all times
The True Food Network
The goal of the True Food Network Working is to create a socially just, democratic and sustainable food system.
Acres USA
Acres U.S.A. is the only national magazine that offers a comprehensive guide to sustainable agriculture. Drawing on knowledge accumulated in more than 35 years of continuous publication, we bring our readers the latest techniques for growing bountiful, nutritious crops and healthy, vibrant livestock. Acres U.S.A. has helped thousands of farmers feed the nation's growing appetite for clean, delicious food.
Ecological Farming Association
Eco-Farm supports a vision for our food system where strengthening soils, protecting air and water, encouraging diverse ecosystems and economies, and honoring rural life are all part of producing healthful food.
National Family Farm Coalition
The National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) provides a voice for grassroots groups on farm, food, trade and rural economic issues to ensure fair prices for family farmers, safe and healthy food, and vibrant, environmentally sound rural communities here and around the world.
Rural Coalition
The Rural Coalition is an alliance of regionally and culturally diverse organizations working to build a more just and sustainable food system which: brings fair returns to minority and other small farmers and rural communities, ensures just and fair working conditions for farm workers,
protects the environment, delivers safe and healthy food to consumers
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy promotes resilient family farms, rural communities and ecosystems around the world through research and education, science and technology, and advocacy.
Grain
GRAIN is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) which promotes the sustainable management and use of agricultural biodiversity based on people's control over genetic resources and local knowledge.
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture explores and cultivates alternatives that secure healthier people and landscapes in Iowa and the nation.
Rodale Institute
The Rodale Institute works with people worldwide to achieve a regenerative food system that renews environmental and human health working with the philosophy that "Healthy Soil = Healthy Food = Healthy People ®·
New Farm (Rodale Institute)
Helping consumers, brokers, restaurateurs and other farmers find the farm services they're looking for.
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has helped advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities through a nationwide research and education grants program.
National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
The National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture is a diverse nationwide partnership of individuals and organizations cultivating grass roots efforts to engage in policy development processes that result in food and agricultural systems and rural communities that are healthy, environmentally sound, profitable, humane and just.
National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
ATTRA provides information and other technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, Extension agents, educators, and others involved in sustainable agriculture in the United States.
Family Farm Defenders
The FFD mission is to create a farmer-controlled and consumer-oriented food and fiber system, based upon democratically controlled institutions that empower farmers to speak for and respect themselves in their quest for social and economic justice.
The Center for Food Safety
The Center for Food Safety (CFS) is an interest and environmental advocacy membership organization established in 1997 by its sister organization, International Center for Technology Assessment, for the purpose of challenging harmful food production technologies and promoting sustainable alternatives.
ETC Group
ETC group is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable advancement of cultural and ecological diversity and human rights.
Environmental Working Group
EWG specializes in environmental investigations. They have a team of scientists, engineers, policy experts, lawyers and computer programmers who pore over government data, legal documents, scientific studies and our own laboratory tests to expose threats to your health and the environment, and to find solutions.
WorldWatch Institute
WorldWatch is an independent research group working for an environmentally sustainable and socially just society. An excellent book published by WorldWatch institute is by Brian Halweil, Eat Here: Reclaiming Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket, 2004.
Union of Concerned Scientists
UCS is an independent nonprofit alliance of more than 100,000 concerned citizens and scientists. We augment rigorous scientific analysis with innovative thinking and committed citizen advocacy to build a cleaner, healthier environment and a safer world.
Institute of Science in Society
ISIS promotes science responsible to civil society and the public good, independent of commercial and other special interests, or of government control and a science that can help make the world sustainable, equitable and life-enhancing for all its inhabitants.
Organic Consumers Association
OCA is building a national network of consumers promoting food safety, organic agriculture, fair trade and sustainability.
Organic Center for Education and Promotion
OCEP generates credible, peer reviewed scientific information and communicate the verifiable benefits of organic farming and products to society.
Food and Water Watch
FWW is working on issues such as food and water safety, mad cow, sustainable agriculture, irradiation. Also has a factory farm campaign which aims to change government policies that promote factory farms, fight corporate control that forces farmers "to get big or get out," and encourage sustainably raised meat.
United Poultry Concerns, Inc
UPC is dedicated to the compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl.
Sierra Club
(Including a toolkit for Factory Farm Pollution Activists)
The Sierra Club's mission is to explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth. Practice and promote the responsible us of the earth's ecosystems and resources. Educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment. Use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.
Beyond Factory Farming
Beyond Factory Farming is a coalition of citizen's organizations from all across Canada that share a vision of livestock production for health and social justice. Their mission is to promote livestock production that supports food sovereignty, ecological, human and animal health, as well as sustainability and community viability and informed citizen/consumer choice.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)Wegmans Cruelty
Video showing what goes on inside a factory chicken farm. Includes news and events.
Humane Society of the US
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has worked since 1954 to promote the protection of all animals.
Humane Farming Association
HFA is an animal protection organization. Campaigns against factory farming and slaughterhouse abuse. Also home to the world's largest farm animal refuge.
Compassionate Consumers
Compassionate Consumers was founded in 2003 by a small group of people concerned about animal welfare in the food industry.
Chicago's only sustainable market with the highest quality locally farmed products.
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