Chinese baby formula tainted with melamine
The FDA has put out an alert regarding infant formula made in China and melamine contamination. Chinese newspapers are reporting that some infant formulas have been linked to serious kidney problems in babies in China due to melamine. Yep, melamine, the same contaminant that was linked to the death of thousands of dogs in the U.S. last year. Melamine is added to mimic protein, thus raising the apparent protein content.
On the U.S. front, no baby formula approved for use is made in China. In addition, no U.S. manufacturers or marketers of infant formula even use ingredients from China, according to the FDA. However, the FDA is still worried because infant formula not approved for sale here is sold in Asian and ethnic stores around the country, illegally.













Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-18-2008 @ 5:57PM
wayne taigel said...
Doesnt this smack of deja vu from a familiar scenario from a few years back, namely mad cow disease.
Gee when you think about what people are putting into food in the name of profit, you hardly want to eat anything that has been made by a company for profit .
But then you dont know if what you are making at home from scratch has been made from GE adulterated food any way.
We are now trying to grow heirloom foods and have a house cow to steer our family away from all this I , hope we are not to late in acheiving it.
People should consider doing something similar and be keeping their seed for future plantings.
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9-22-2008 @ 7:50AM
Eric Kindberg said...
Hello Folks,
Having been an organic farmer for 32 years, and now live at Wuzhishan, Hainan for the last 4 developing an organic marketing and production group, I have always had dairy cows, drank lots of milk daily.
My recent story is this: something funny happening to my body late September 2007, by end of October a little more GI tract disruption, took the mandatory annual medical test November 15, 2007. It does say in the book under Abdomen ultrasound (liver, gallbladder, spleen, kidney) “abnormal findings” in English, but in Chinese it says normal. Having already left the office, I thought the English wording must be a mistake as no one mentioned anything.
By first of December I was losing weight at an alarming rate, having trouble with GI tract, but no fever or organ pain (no fever or organ pain ever through to this day.) I concluded I was ingesting poison some how. I continued drinking a liter of ultra-pasteurized milk a day. I went to local hospital December 25, 2007, and did basic blood test plus first ultra sound. There was very high billrubin(s), symptomatic of destruction of spent or poorly developed red blood cells, RBD, which produced the jaundice in my eyes now (showed up in my urine as very dark and very light colored stools). Other indicators of liver, etc. problems were high also
First week of January, I had lost 35 lb, normal weight 170 lb. First ultra-sound operator could not find a trace of my gall bladder, which indicated to me part of the problem was no enzymes for fats and protein digestion, plus low on carb enzymes. Ultra sound of kidney, liver, spleen all normal. Juandice was spreading to skin. I journeyed to Haikou and did comprehensive blood tests, ultra sound again, and many test for exotics on March 7, 2008. Again, a very well trained ultra-sound operator could not find a trace of my gall bladder. Ultra sound of kidney, liver, spleen all normal. Even higher billrubin(s). I am yellow by now.
I had a supply of frozen avocado, 40 kg, from production, and could buy any fresh fruit in the market. Made up my substitute enzyme smoothie, pineapple, papaya for protein, banana for carbs, and hopefully although not confirmed avocado for fats. I always in China have eaten New Zealand cheese and French butter and since last November Italian olive oil exclusively—formerly locally pressed peanut oil. Drank smoothie all day with meals. Now doing 6 small meals a day as can not digest big volumes. Sun for vitamin D, and taking folic acid, B-12 plus calcium daily to supplement.
Then one day I slowed and listened to what was happening when I drank my liter of milk—I immediately had an indigestion reaction. I concluded something was in the milk—no idea what, but stopped drinking ultra- pasteurized Yili, Mengiu milk. Still craving dairy, I tried yogurt but hit the same brick wall in the GI tract—it was poison, which all makes sense now because yogurt is made from dry milk powder worldwide commercially. Shifted to small amounts of Carnation evaporated milk, which was fine. About this time I also had my partner so gratefully massage my lower body especially and my feet which acts just like taking pure honey and lemon—energy returns—do it daily to this day.
Eliminating the milk, everything began improvement. I had no energy left, no fat on my body at all, jaundiced, difficult to find what to eat—up was the only way to go or death. An additional point I discovered was your large intestine, formerly thought to not do much nutritionally for your body, evidently was a composting chamber for complex carbohydrates and the best complex carb was kidney beans—love them so bring the chili on at least every other day. It worked. I got energy into my liver storage via the large intestine fermentation rather than through the small intestine. That started my upward climb and I still eat kidney beans everyday now along with the enzyme smoothie, pure honey/lemon. In April having sent from USA for metamucile found it was very beneficial. I also found all simple sugars did nothing for me, however, lots of honey with lemon squeezed in, if I drank two glasses gave me 2 hours of super energy, so continue to today. By the way, this is not commercial honey, which in China is harvested before the cells are sealed, therefore very high in water. Then China honey is put into large crocks and adulterated with sugars for a few months evidently to smooth out the texture before bottling and selling. The honey I use comes from the cells, without any adulteration.
Now, step by step working forward through May to present middle September, almost one year, I recovered 80% of weight. I had considered Chinese traditional doctors all along, but not until 3 weeks ago did I go to one. He prescribed herb mixtures, I have taken three different sets of his prescription. The first for jaundice and energy had a very good affect—lowered billrubin, stopped foot swelling upon standing too long (if you raise your feet at night or nap, the blood will flow out or you can massage the blood out) gave me energy immediately, like a half hour after taking—took herb mixture twice a day. The second herb mixture did just the opposite, feet swelled, indigestion, raised billrubin—I quite after one day. The third I just took yesterday, September 19 produced over night the most profound diarrhea with pain I have ever had. Canceled and went back to the first herb mixture.
None the less, I am still only half physical strength and less in stamina to sustain high energy output. I continue to build the farm, welding, driving tractor, planting, etc. but it is taxing after 2 hours full bore.
Has anyone else had such experience?
I have not mentioned melamine up to this point because I have never been tested for it, but would like to be. Perhaps, my health problem was something else, but I would not want others be like me and not know there was a suspicion of melamine upon having symptoms as I describe.
But, I do know a lot about agriculture, I am sure melamine and its associated tag along poisons are in commercial feed for chickens (meaning meat, in eggs and could be egg noodles also), hogs, pond raised fish, shrimp, duck, let alone dog food in China. Our dog story is below. All processed foods advertising high protein content probably contain melamine may be suspected of having melamine. Having eaten pork loin since arriving I asked our market seller about the feed they fed. I only like the taste of his pork having tried a dozen over 4 years. Turns out his brother raises the pigs and mixes the feed ingredients, not using commercial feed. I suspect there is no melamine and will further inquiry as I need to buy a couple weanling pigs from him. I/we only eat ocean fish, local beef which is a small yellow cow that basically wanders around the island and is fed next to nothing, certainly not commercial feed. Quit commercial eggs 6 months ago and now quitting peasant raised eggs feeding commercial feed—raising 3 chicken layers for our daily needs starting now. I buy no processed food anyway and for a couple of years, except under arm wrenching, do not eat out.
Dog story:
I have always had Scottish border collies for 30 years and found a good looking female dog in Xian that for some reason, probably because it was so big, he wanted to sell very cheap. Bought it. Beautiful, well grown, big developed bones, excellent hair—come to find out the former owner has only fed European imported dog food from 3 months up to year and half when we bought. Then looking for male, found one in Haikou, over 2 years old. Bought it reasonably priced without thorough inspection and got it home for a better look. Very poorly developed, small, thinner bones, course hair, 2/3 or less weight of female, nervous and yet lacking stamina. Could be genetics, but I doubt as the male has been fed only China produced dog food from the beginning through 2 years. Our feeding regimen cost about 3-4 RMB per day per dog. It is fresh fried small ocean fish 3 to 3.5 RMB per jin, from the markets, uncooked pork liver and lesser quality fat cooked a little from our pork provider and what little left over we have. They now both look nice and the male appears to be growing. So, again, maybe melamine struck again.
If this is helpful for others, great. Where to go from here, I am open to suggestions
I do not know who to contact to relay my experiences, so I am posting here for others think about.
Any questions or similar experiences, please contact me Eric Kindberg, at erorganic@aol.com
Reply
9-30-2008 @ 8:04AM
Barry Naef said...
Dear Eric, please contact me through the Jie's World website we would like to talk to you.
Our 2 year old son had nearly the exact symptoms but they were ignored by the Chinese doctors until he had kidney stones and....
Please contact.
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12-14-2008 @ 11:44AM
friend of Eric's said...
Eric died on Dec 11. The hospital says it was undiagnosed bile duct cancer. I hope your son is doing better. Eric's friends will miss him greatly.
Best,
9-30-2008 @ 8:04AM
Barry Naef said...
Eric, here is our website address:
http://www.jiesworld.com/news/2008/melamine-milk-china.html
http://www.jiesworld.com/contact.htm
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12-14-2008 @ 11:47AM
Barry Naef said...
Regarding Eric Kindberg
We also just learned of his unexpected passing two days ago in Guangzhou China. I can only say that he was so endlessly supportive and concerned about us, and our son Jie.
Though we never met him personally we were in contact constantly. His research, willingness and positive attitude were essential since this bomb was dropped into our lives.
In tribute will discuss more about his life, goals, health, melamine and life at the Jie's World website.
He is the perfect definition of a "friend", even we never met.
-Barry Naef
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