Melamine contamination in pet foods has had tragic consequences for many pets and their owners. While it is discomforting to think that melamine might be working its way up the food chain, the information on hand indicates that this incident will not pose a danger to humans.

Melamine has a number of industrial uses, including use in dinner plates and countertops. Melmac is a type of dinnerware made from a melamine resin. There's no problem when it is a component in a plate or a bowl, melamine has no place in food itself. In the case in question, the melamine contamination may have been done on purpose. The underhanded logic here is that melamine is about two-thirds nitrogen by weight. Nitrogen levels are often used as crude indicators of protein content in some food commodities. As the story goes, scrap melamine from an unrelated industrial process was ground up and added to wheat components to make it seem as though they were higher in protein. (Higher protein content translates to a higher price.) The doctored wheat was then used as a raw material in certain pet foods and animal feeds.

In the human body, the organs of excretion include the kidneys, bowels, skin, hair and breath. (Compounds are often detoxified in the liver prior to being sent off for excretion.) The cats and dogs affected by the melamine poisoning suffered kidney damage due to the fact that this organ plays a role in pulling the unwanted substance out of the body. Now we have information that the tainted grain may also have been fed to chickens, pigs and fish. If consumed by us, do these foods represent a health risk?

First, it is important to appreciate that the current event involves a melamine contamination of an ingredient used in the manufacture of feeds for pets and other animals. There is no evidence of a direct melamine contamination of human foods. Pets, and especially feed animals, tend to eat the same food day after day. Humans tend to eat a variety of different foods. Consider also that melamine, when used in animal feed, is a foreign substance that the feed animals' bodies attempt to eliminate. There is no indication that the melamine contaminant ends up being stored in the muscle meat, which is the part of the body that we usually consume.

Given what we know, there are several levels of biological dilution separating us and our children from dangers posed by the melamine in this incident. You also asked about meal replacement products such as Pediasure and Ensure; these foods do not contain any of the food components known to be contaminated

There is more complete information on the toxicology of melamine at National Library of Medicine. The data sheet can be accessed online at http://tinyurl.com/2qrl5b.

What remains is the outrage that such a thing has happened. It indicates that we need to remain vigilant in the protection of our food supply. There needs to be appropriate funding and support so that those charged with this task can do their jobs effectively.

Do you have a question that involves nutrition, health and wellness? Dr. Ed Blonz holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in nutrition, and has more than 25 years of experience in the fields of nutrition, foods and health. He is the author of seven books and writes the nationally syndicated column, "On Nutrition," available through United Features Syndicate.

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