The Department of Chemistry of Dhaka University has found traces of melamine in different brands of powdered milk available in the country’s markets.
The department sent its findings in a report to the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) yesterday in which they stated that melamine has been found present in the Chinese brands Yashili 1, Yashili 2 and Sweet Baby 2, and five other popular brands of milk available in local markets.
Director General of BSTI Azmal Hossain told The Daily Star, “According to the DU report, the level of melamine found in all eight samples are beyond tolerable levels.”
BSTI scientists say that presence of upto 1 milligram (mg) of melamine per kg of milk consumed would be considered safe for children to consume. For adults, this would be 2.5 mg per kg of milk.
“The BSTI and the private testing laboratory Plasma Plus also examined the same eight samples but did not find melamine in any of those samples except Yashili 1,” Azmal Hossain said.
He said that BSTI would send the copies of the DU report to the commerce and other ministries concerned by the end of the day yesterday.
Hossain also said that BSTI will not go for testing of the remaining 28 powdered milk samples they have collected until it is confirmed how reliable the DU test results are.
The BSTI sent the eight samples of powdered milk to DU’s chemistry department a few weeks ago for tests.
The DU report however shows much higher levels of melamine present in the samples.
Experts consider industrial ‘melamine’ toxic for health, especially in children.
Prof Golam Mainuddin of the Paediatric Nephrology department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, said, “We are not sure about the affect of melamine on kidneys when consumed. Further research is needed in this regard.”
Melamine, when consumed, is deposited in the kidneys and hinders its functions. This could lead to inflation of the kidneys and result in permanent damage.
Melamine also causes stones in kidney, Prof ABM Farouque of the department of Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacology at DU said.
“Melamine is a highly toxic compound, its presence in milk and milk product should not be allowed,” he said adding that the government should go for thorough and reliable tests of all the milk and milk products available in the country.
He also said that the results of these tests should be revealed to the public without considering the issue of the manufacturing and packaging companies who sell them.
Prof Farouque further said that the commerce ministry should go for stricter control over the origin of the food materials coming into the country.
Categories: Bangla, Bangladesh, Bangladesh News, Bangladesh Politics
