Statement from Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer on Melamine

You may have heard the recent reports on the situation in East Asia regarding the contamination of a variety of food products with the chemical melamine. Chinese officials have reported thousands of cases of infants experiencing health difficulties stemming from this contamination.

Here at home, I understand that these reports will cause some concern, particularly among parents of young children. So I want to emphasize that, to date, no related illnesses have been reported in Canada and no melamine-contaminated infant formulas have been discovered in this country.

However, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has recently expanded a recall on some food products suspected of containing melamine. These products include White Rabbit brand candy, some Mr. Brown coffee products, and Nissin Cha Cha Desserts. For more details, visit the CFIA's web site.

If you or someone you know have consumed products on this recall list and are feeling unwell, consult your physician. Our knowledge of the human health effects of melamine is limited at this point. We do know  that effects will vary depending on how much you have been exposed to, and for how long. Limited exposure does not carry great risk, but sufficient exposure can lead to bladder and kidney stones, which, in turn, may result in kidney failure and in rare instances can be fatal.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is working with its partners in the provinces and territories and throughout the federal government to monitor the human health situation very closely. We have alerted the public health community and health professionals in Canada about this issue and the need to be watchful of possible illness in the community . We have also developed new clinical guidelines for physicians on how to identify and deal with melamine intoxication.

As an added precaution, if you have recently adopted a baby from China, and in particular if she or he spent some time in nurseries or orphanages there, you might choose to consult a health professional. Until more information is available, we recommend that if you are travelling to China with an infant or baby that is bottle-fed, avoid any infant formula or other milk products made there. You can find more travel advice relating to this issue here.

To be clear, before any infant formula is allowed for sale in Canada, it must be approved by Health Canada. No infant formulas produced in China are approved for sale in this country, and Health Canada has contacted all major manufacturers of infant formula sold here, who have confirmed they do not use milk ingredients from China.

Health Canada is working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to make sure no unapproved products from China have made their way to Canadian store shelves. If you should happen to find an infant formula from China at your local grocery store, please call the Canadian Food Inspection Agency at 1-800-442-2342.

Dr. David Butler-Jones,
Chief Public Health Officer of Canada