CHEMICALS MUST BE REGULARLY MONITORED, SAYS FOOD EXPERT

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 (Bernama)-- The Malaysian government should regularly
monitor chemicals from other countries which are used in food manufacturing in
Malaysia, a food technologist, Dr Mohd Nasir Azudin, said Thursday.

"Possible contaminants, poisons and toxins must be constantly analysed to
be
vigilant of any decontamination," he said in a briefing on melamine by food
experts here.

Last Thursday, the Health Ministry banned the import of ammonium
bicarbonate, a levelling agent used in the production of biscuits, from China as
it was found to contain high levels of melamine.

Chemist Dr Neoh Soon Bin said that free melamine was close to
non-toxic and only became dangerous when combined with cyanuric acid.

"Melamine by itself is non-toxic in low doses, but when combined with
cyanuric acid it can cause kidney stones due to the formation of an insoluble
melamine cyanurate," he said.

Companies in China used melamine to raise the protein concentration in milk
but biscuits manufacturers in Malaysia did not use melamine in the production
process, he said.

He said melamine contamination might have occurred in the production of
biscuits through cross-contamination if the melamine and ammonium bicarbonate,
which is used to make the biscuits crispy, were produced in the same
factory.

"Milk adulterated by melamine is harmful to infants because of their weak
digestive system compared to that of adults," he added.

-- BERNAMA