Taiwan Today

Tests conducted by the Consumers’ Foundation revealed that melamine tableware products release the toxic substance detected in dairy products imported from China last year. The foundation carried out tests on 20 such products, with each sample releasing between 0.04 and 20 parts per million of the material, according to Gaston J.C. Wu, secretary-general of the foundation, June 1. Wu said for melamine to be released, such tableware must come in contact with slightly acidic substances or be heated to above 40 degrees Celsius. The consumer advocate advised the public to avoid using melamine ware as ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones or even to bladder or kidney cancer in the long term. Alternative products made out of stainless steel or ceramic are recommended. Wu urged the Department of Health to quickly implement testing and safety standards for melamine ware products as soon as possible given the foundation’s findings. Hsieh Tien-jen, chairman of the foundation, noted that as Taiwan currently does not have testing standards in place, his organization used the Japanese model to carry out the survey. Under this method, melamine tableware products are filled with a 4-percent acetic acid solution and heated to 95 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. Of the 20 products tested by the foundation, a total of 14, or 70 percent, released between 0.05 and 20 ppm of the toxic substance, Hsieh said. Although many melamine ware products contain labels indicating they can withstand temperatures of up to 120 degrees Celsius, Wu said this only means the products’ shape will remain unaltered. Wu said that even at room or low temperatures, contact with slightly acidic substances can trigger the release of melamine. He urged people, especially infants, whose metabolisms tend to be slower, to avoid eating from melamine ware products. Lin Chieh-liang, director of the clinical toxicology department at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Linkou, Taipei County, said the public should refrain from purchasing melamine tableware whose point of manufacture is unclear. Lin said people using melamine ware risk ingesting formaldehyde, which is a proven carcinogen, used in the coating material for such products. The DOH said June 1 that using melamine ware does not pose health risks as long as such products are not placed in microwaves or used to hold food at very high temperatures.