Report on Testing Results for Melamine in Foods Containing Milk and Milk-Derived Ingredients from China

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The Government of Canada continues to take action in collaboration with international food safety regulatory officials, at the border and within Canada to protect the safety of the Canadian food supply from the hazards posed by potential melamine contamination of milk or milk-derived ingredients in products for sale in Canada.

The presence of melamine in food at very low levels is known to occur on occasion due to environmental exposure (e.g., from packaging or processing). The presence of low levels in food is not indicative of adulteration and at such levels does not pose a health risk. In other words, detection of melamine in a food product does not automatically indicate that there is a risk to human health.

For the purpose of differentiating between the presence of low background levels of melamine in food and the problem of intentional adulteration, Health Canada has set the following interim standards for melamine in products containing milk and milk-derived ingredients:

• Infant formula and sole source nutrition products, including meal replacement products
  • Maximum of 0.5 parts per million (ppm*)
• Other food products containing milk and milk-derived ingredients
  • Maximum of 2.5 ppm*

[*These levels will apply to a combined concentration of melamine and cyanuric acid (a chemical generally found together with melamine).]

It remains Health Canada's policy that levels of potential contaminants in infant foods should be kept as low as reasonably achievable.

These interim standards are set to ensure that all age groups and segments of the population are protected and were developed using a consistent approach adopted by other food regulatory agencies in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Should new scientific evidence become available, Health Canada's risk assessment will be reviewed and the interim standards will be re-examined. Testing results that are above interim standards will be assessed to determine what action is appropriate.

Health Canada and CFIA collaborate on determining the risk and the best mitigation strategy. Test results are considered as are other factors such as usual levels of consumption and what groups are most likely to consume a certain product (different level of risk for infants than for adults). It is important to note that no melamine was detected in the testing of infant formula samples available for sale in Canada.

The CFIA tested a range of products containing milk and milk-derived ingredients from China that could be in Canada. Products found to contain melamine at levels at or above the standards were not allowed to be sold in Canada. Products that have tested positive at levels higher than the interim standards up to January 2009 are listed below. Any products found to have higher than allowable levels of melamine after January 2009 are being publicized through the usual recall process and do not appear on this list.

Other products may have been recalled, but not tested, due to the possibility of melamine contamination (e.g., some exporters in other countries have notified Canadian importers or companies of potential contamination and those companies have voluntarily recalled product). Please visit the main melamine page to see a list of all recalled product.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption in Canada of any of the products listed above.

A Border Lookout is in place to look for products that contain milk or milk-derived ingredients or finished food products that could contain these ingredients from Chinese sources. When products meeting those criteria are identified, they are referred to the CFIA for further investigation. The Government of Canada is also working with its international partners to identify product at risk that could be available on store shelves.