Science and Health

UN food safety meeting to consider melamine limit

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-07-02 07:24

GENEVA -- The World Health Organization says an annual food safety meeting July 5-9 will discuss setting a global limit on how much melamine is allowed in food and animal feed.

Melamine contamination in milk products has been blamed for the sickening of nearly 300,000 babies and deaths of at least six infants in China in recent years.

WHO said Thursday that some 130 countries meeting in Geneva may limit the amount of melamine to 2.5 milligrams per kilogram with certain exceptions.

The threshold for infant milk formula would be set at 1 milligram per kilogram. That is equivalent to the current US limit of 1 part per million.

The limit won't be legally binding but countries can refuse to allow the import of products deemed below minimum quality.