China Steps Up Melamine Containment Efforts

The Chinese government and two food manufacturers are implementing mass spectrometry-based technologies for food analysis as part of efforts to identify and contain the spread of melamine in the food supply following the milk contamination scandal earlier this year, claims Applied Biosystems.

The U.S.-based mass spectrometry systems firm said that the Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and two dairy manufacturers, Shanxi Gucheng and Yashili Dairy Company, recently deployed five of its API 3200 mass spectrometry systems for the scanning, identification and measurement of the quantity of various food contaminants.

“These systems deliver high sensitivity, selectivity, high speed and reliability of results in laboratory analysis, enabling rapid detection and ultimately stronger enforcement of food safety regulations,” claims Applied Biosystems.

The Chinese melamine scandal first hit headlines when tens of thousands of children were sickened and four killed after the chemical, normally found in plastics, was used to make watered down infant formula appear richer in protein.

Source: FoodProductionDaily.com