Melamine

Melamine, a nitrogen-rich organic compound, is commonly used to produce melamine resin and other industrial products. On September, milk and infant formula adulterated with melamine was discovered in China. Several companies in China illegally added the compound into milk to increase the apparent protein content. Melamine is thought to be non toxic, but it can cause fatal kidney failure when combined with cyanuric acid. More than 54,000 infants and children got sick after they had these tainted milk products.
The tainted milk powder has been used in the manufacture of numerous other products. In Japan, some food companies were forced to recall their products that contain milk imported from China. A number of countries imposed bans on Chinese milk products.

In 2007, melamine tainted pet foods caused death of a number of dogs and cats in the USA. Vegetable proteins contaminated with melamine were imported from China and used as ingredients in these pet foods. A portion of the tainted proteins was also used to produce farm animal feed and fish feed. These tainted products were recalled in North America, Europe and South Africa; however, animals fed the tainted feed had been processed into human food.

In Japan, melamine contamination was found not only in the milk products but also in egg powder and fried chicken imported from China. The melamine contamination may be widespread in Chinese food products.