Melamine Analysis
Melamine Contamination
In July 2008 there were reports that infants in China had been made ill as a result of melamine contamination of baby milk formula. The scale of the contamination became apparent when in September the number of effected babies had reached into the tens-of-thousands. The problem of food adulturation was brought to the attention of the international community when, in 2007 animal feed was reported to have been contaminated.
Melamine is a nitrogen-rich compound which when added to a food can artificially exagerate its measured protein content. Since protein content is a measure of the quality of some foods, suppliers have resorted to this unethical practice in order to sell foods that would otherwise be deemed unfit for animal and human consumption.
Melamine applications
Melamine Extraction by SPE
Two solid-ohase extraction techniques are provided by Thermo Fisher Scientific for both wet and dry baby formula and animal feeds. HyperSep Retain-CX utilized an ion-exchange mechanism in order to retain the highly basic melamine and related species. This product has been shown to provide high recoveries and demonstrates good resilience to drying out between the washing and elution stages.
Melamine Analysis by LC
Numerous liquid chromatgraphy approaches have been suggested on the FDA web site, including those utilizing ion-pair, HILIC and ion-exchange. Thermo Fisher Scientific offer Hypersil GOLD C8 for ion-pair, and BioBasic AX for HILIC separation of melamine and related bases.
Melamine Analysis by GC
An interim method provided on the FDA web site provides a methodology for the extraction and TMS derivatization of melamine and related substances in dry food-stuffs. This method has been adapted for use with the Thermo Scientific TR-5MS GC column.
See our full liquid chromatography product range in the 2008-9 catalog
