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I am deeply trouble by the chinese milk scandal which is making waves around the world and has thus created increasing food safety repercussions, with many countries banning or restricting melamine tainted milk products, fruits and vegetables imported from China.
So, what is this melamine thing which is causing so much havoc, misery and in some cases even death and received so much attention around the world in so short a time?
Lets take a close look at melamine.
Melamine was first synthesized by a German chemist by the name of Justus von Liebig in 1834. Melamine the word, was coined by combining the names of 2 chemicals - Melam and Amine. Melamine is the chemical name. Melamine is a white crystalline compound C3H6N6.
Melamine is an industrial chemical use for making plastics, foam, cleaning products, fabrics, glues and is one of the major components in Pigment Yellow 150 which is a colourant in inks and plastics.
Melamine when mixed with watered-down milk can make the milk appear richer in protein acting as a decoy protein enhancer. It is said that if 1 liter of milk with melamine is added with water, it can produce 4 liters of milk and the protein test will show that the milk is high in protein and it will surely pass the milk test.
Melamine is even used as fertilizer for crops because of its high nitrogen contents. Melamine is also used as a pesticide. Yes, pesticide and this is something once I reveal a little more is going to ring alarm bells for sure.
Cyromazine is a derivative of melamine. Cyromazine is a pesticide which metabolises into melamine in animals and plants. In simple language, melamine is formed in the body of mammals who have ingested the pesticide cyromazine. And in plants, cyromazine is converted into melamine after its being sprayed with cyromazine pesticide.
Cyromazine is a systemic poison which means that if insects or humans who feed on a plant to which a systemic poison has been applied will die or fall sick soon after ingestion.
Cyromazine pesticide is specifically used to control leaf miners in vegetables and fruits. In China, cyromazine is extensively used as a foliar spray to control leaf miner insects in star fruits, guava, mandarin oranges, melons, tomatoes, lettuce, broccoli and chinese cabbages.
So dear readers, the presence of melamine in fruits and vegetables imported from China which was recently highlighted by the South Korean government was mainly due to the usage of the pesticide cyromazine.
Now the million dollar question is, DO OUR FARMERS IN SABAH also use the pesticide cyromazine? The answer is YES and its crazy.
In Daily Express on 6th July, 2008, in a piece titled "Sabahans Still Being Poisoned", I talked about banned pesticides available and is used by the farmers in Sabah, and I mentioned a product called NEPOREX. Well, this product Neporex is the culprit. Neporex contains cyromazine a derivative of melamine and this is the same product used by the farmers in China and due to the usage of this product the South Korean government discovered melamine contents in the vegetables and fruits imported from China. Neporex is also used in Sabah although it is banned in Malaysia.
Sets new alarm bells ringing? Sure it does!
Now lets see what the Health Minister got to say? The Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai, in Kota Kinabalu recently, said that the level four check will be applied at all food products including vegetables and fruits imported from China, whereby samples will be taken for safety analysis before it is released in the market. He said this after the South Korean government found melamine contents in vegetables and fruits imported from China.
While it may be reassuring that certain preventive steps have been taken by the Health Ministry, but, the public knows very well that the scope of imported food stuff is so vast and therefore effective public safety is so doubtful in this present times.
And if cyromazine is also used as a pesticide locally by our farmers, which we know they are, then, the contamination spread of melamine could also be severly underestimated by the parties concern.
Hence the Health Minister, saying that melamine screening is only done on imported food from China and he not saying anything about the screening on the local fruits and vegetables does not make sense at all. Comprehensive safeguards are needed not only for imported food originating from China but also vegetables and fruits from here, which is also a suspect.
And perhaps, the Health Minister should also let Sabahans know if we actually have enough screening facilities/laboratories to test melamine/cyromazine, other than the Chemistry Department in Kota Kinabalu.
The Health Ministry should work more closely with the public and let Sabahans know of the real situation and dont hide the facts. The Health Ministry should be pro-active and lead in the drive for public safety and awareness and not just wait for complaints and medical casualties before acting, as damage would have already been done. If there are any weaknesses in the delivery system the Health Ministry should admit it and try to rectify it quickly and dont wait for another 50 years.
Besides, Sabah and Sarawak also must not be too dependand on health institutes from West Malaysia to obtain all the findings, instead, Sabah and sarawak should work for a credible research of its own. A competent state-of-art food research agency is a must for Sabah and Sarawak and check and test should be mandatory.
Perhaps, it is hightime Malaysia takes a serious view on consumer health protection which is long overdue.
SelvarajaSomiah
Selvaraja has been involved in the pesticide industry for 20 over years and he can be contacted at
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The Blogs 
Opening Song and Dance by Sky-Kingdom Belly-Dancers.
1) Starter Course : ISA Dog Food
2) Sabah Vegetables : 16 choices (all free-Melamine)
3) Braised Dead-Cat in Melamine Sauce (renown Vietnamese Chef)
4) Vegetarian Char Siew in Lead & Mercury (guaranteed Halal)
Intermission: Special Prayers by GuruJi
5) Glowing Huge Fish from Chernobyl (endemic)
6) Surprise-Rojak from Bosnia (meat unknown)
7) Chow Kit Fly-Lice Special
Lucky Draw: Next Government Contract
Free-Flow: China Milk.
(Expresso Flavoured guaranteed to hide the Melamine taste)