Another Reason We Can’t Trust the FDA: Melamine is Now Safe for Infant Consumption

This was surprising to me, I thought I'd share just to make some moms aware of what we may not know. Thanks Ruth for the link to the website http://ecochildsplay.com/. I love it and will have fun exploring it more!

The FDA has come out with a “safe” level of melamine in Infant Formula. Just weeks ago, the FDA stated it couldn’t determine a safe level of melamine for human infants (Oct. 3, 2008- “the US FDA cannot establish a level of melamine and its analogues in [infant formula] that does not raise public health concerns.”).
Of course there isn’t a safe level, look what happened in China. (Melamine was added in China Formulas to fool protein content tests and was at a much higher level than what was found in U.S. Formula Brands. At least 3 infants died from contaminated formula in China.)While watching CBS news this evening, I was SHOCKED to hear Dr. Daniel Rauch, a pediatrician at New York University’s Langone Medical Center state “We think it’s safe.” Since when is THINKING something is safe okay? Is this an innocent until proven guilty situation? Do CHILDREN HAVE TO DIE before our government steps up to the plate?
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Dr. Rauch went on to say, “But the bottom line is that we don’t really know, and zero would be best.” Despite this, the FDA has set a safe level for melamine (and related chemicals like cyanuric acid) at 1 ppm (one part per million). All three major formula manufacturers have tested positive for levels of melamine at less than 1 ppm.
CBS gives this advice to parents looking for an alternative, “about 90 percent of all infant formulas produced in the U.S. are made by the three companies whose products tested positive for contaminants.” (Enfamil, Good Start and Similac all have tested positive for melamine or cyanuric acid. No samples have tested positive for both contaminants.) In other words, if you formula feed your child, there is NO SAFE ALTERNATIVE. You can’t backtrack and start breastfeeding months into your child’s life. Infants not breastfed MUST be fed infant formula or they risk malnutrition and its serious health risks.
This asinine move by the FDA reaffirms that they are not to be trusted. According to the FDA; BPA is safe, Melamine is safe, FD&C Food Colorants are safe, BHT & BHA are safe… AT THE LEVELS USED IN OUR FOOD, what happens when all these so called safe levels are combined in our bodies over a lifetime. Death? Cancer? ADHD? Fatigue? IBS? Birth Defects?
We cannot allow our children to be treated like test rats! The FDA is exhibiting more concern over corporate America than the health and well being of American children.
So, what do we do? We get the word out. We let the FDA and related government know that we will not stand for this continued ignorance! Demand they begin to set safety standards based on science not on big business. If you are an expectant parent, BREASTFEED (at least until a safe formula supply is available) because we don’t know what potential dangers the current contaminated formulas could represent. If you are feeding your child infant formula, check the FDA test list to see if there is an alternative that has tested negative for melamine and cyanuric acid. If there isn’t an alternative, check with your pediatrician. Chances are good that you should continue to feed your child the formula, this is a measured evils situation. We know malnutrition arising from improper feeding is deadly. Whatever you do… DO NOT STOP feeding your baby (less than 12 months old) infant formula or breastmilk. That is a decision that could prove tragic.