FDA: Don't Use Chinese Infant Formula Due to Melamine Risk

By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Sept. 12, 2008 -- The FDA is warning parents and caregivers not to feed infant formula made in China to infants because of possible contamination with melamine, a chemical linked to tainted animal feed last year.

Infant formulas made in the U.S. are safe to use.

In China, one baby has died and others have developed kidney problems linked to melamine in Chinese infant formula, according to news reports.

Melamine artificially makes milk appear to have more protein; it can cause kidney diseases such as those seen in the Chinese infants, the FDA notes.

Infant formulas made in China shouldn't be on store shelves, regardless of melamine. The FDA requires all infant formula makers to register with the FDA and to meet certain standards; no Chinese companies have met those requirements.

The FDA issued the warning just in case any specialty markets serving the Asian community sell any Chinese infant formulas; the FDA is looking into that.

The following manufacturers have met the FDA's requirements for marketing infant formulas in the U.S.: Abbott Nutritionals, Mead Johnson Nutritionals, Nestle USA, PBM Nutritionals, Solus Products LLC, and SHS/Nutricia of Liverpool, England. Their products are safe and are not imported from China or made from materials from China, according to the FDA.

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