ABSTRACT
Melamine is a simple, nitrogen-rich triazine compound with no approved uses for direct addition to foods. It became a major global food safety concern following the tandem 2007 and 2008 melamine adulteration scandals involving the intentional, economic adulteration of animal and human food supply chains with melamine and its analogs. Intentional adulteration of food ingredients (often referred to as economically motivated adulteration) is the “the fraudulent addition of nonauthentic
14.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 273 14.2 Chemistry and Toxicology ............................................................................ 274
14.2.1 Chemistry of Melamine and Its Related Compounds ...................... 274 14.2.2 Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Toxicokinetics
of Melamine and Cyanuric Acid ...................................................... 281 14.2.3 Toxicology of Melamine and Cyanuric Acid.................................... 282 14.2.4 Metabolism, Toxicokinetics, and Toxicology of
Coadministered Melamine and Cyanuric Acid ................................284 14.3 Established Tolerable Intakes and Maximum Limits for Melamine
and Related Compounds in Food and Feed ..................................................287 14.4 Exposure to Melamine and Related Compounds in Food Supply ................ 289
14.4.1 Unintentional Sources of Melamine and Cyanuric Acid .................. 291 14.4.2 Carryover from Intentionally Adulterated Animal Feed into
Food of Animal Origin .....................................................................292 14.4.3 Intentionally Adulterated Food Ingredients ..................................... 293
14.5 Other Considerations for Melamine Exposure and Toxicity ........................294 14.6 Analytical Test Methods for Melamine and Related Compounds ...............294
