What can we learn from the 2008 melamine crisis in China?

Consumer perceptions on the origin of infant formula: a survey with urban Chinese mothers

The consumer survey reported in this research paper aims to understand how Chinese mothers learn about and confirm the origin of powdered infant formulas (henceforward formulas), their knowledge level and preferences between formulas from different origins. With globalization, dairy companies can source ingredients for domestic production and manufacture finished products across the world. Chinese consumers are now facing a variety of formulas with different brand origin, main ingredient origin ('nai yuan'), manufacturing origin, and country-of-purchase. Drawing on a large representative sample of Chinese mothers who have purchased formulas, we found that most of them had intensively engaged in learning about and confirming formulas' origin through different strategies. However, they may not interpret related cues correctly: a majority of Chinese mothers incorrectly considered the 'main ingredient origin' as the 'manufacturing place' and could not necessarily recognize between 'foreign' and 'domestic' brands. Among formulas from different origins, authentic foreign branded, produced and packaged formulas showed a high popularity in Tier 1 & 2 cities and among more knowledgeable consumers. In low-tier cities, these products were equally popular as domestically branded and produced formulas using imported milk powders and other ingredients. Formulas directly acquired from overseas markets through unofficial channels were least favoured by consumers. The study shows that Chinese consumers' previous one-sided endorsement towards foreign formulas appears to have weakened. Decisions made by formula companies on the origin of the main ingredient and the place of manufacture would influence product attractiveness, and the segments of Chinese consumers to target.

Food Safety and Rural Parents in China: Investigating an Effective Path for Risk Communication

Measurements of the effects of improvements in single communication elements (audience, channel, message, etc.) to promote risk and health communication effectiveness have been widely studied; however, whether a combination of optimum communication elements always leads to successful communication has rarely been discussed. In this study, we investigated communication with 909 rural parents in China to explore how these carefully selected communication elements worked together to contribute to the effectiveness of food-related risk communication. Specifically, two sets of communication strategies were designed with different combinations of optimum communication elements and were applied to parents segmented by perception biases. The outcomes show that the effectiveness of communication did not necessarily depend on the combination of optimum elements, but rather on the key element that the audience cared most about. The finding of this research also underscores the need for increased awareness and the importance of both the investigation of the socio-demographic and dimensional perception characteristics of the segmented cluster, and the outcome evaluation procedure in the identification of the key element. Our study develops quantitative exploration of risk communication effectiveness and provides new insight regarding risk/health communication in rural China. An effective path and methodology for risk communication in the rural area of China has been proposed, which would not only provide a practical reference for Chinese practitioners to launch real risk communication campaigns in rural areas, but also methodologically contribute to successful efforts to identify the key element and improve effective communication practices for a larger range of health-related issues.

NIR fingerprint screening for early control of non-conformity at feed mills

The objective of this work was to devise a complete procedure based on chemometrics and the use NIR spectroscopy at the entrance of a feed mill to provide early evidence of non-conformity and unusual ingredients and thus help to achieve cost-savings. The procedure was validated at laboratory level and was adapted for application at the Cargill Animal Nutrition feed mill. The study focused on the characterisation of pure soybean meal with the aim of creating an early control system for detecting and quantifying any unusual ingredient that might be present in the soybean meal, such as melamine, cyanuric acid or whey powder (milk serum). The study results showed that the use of NIR, combined with some simple chemometric tools based on distances and residuals from regression equations, is appropriate for authenticating important feed products (in this case, soybean meal) and detecting the presence of abnormal samples or impurities in both the laboratory and at the feed mill.

Quality and safety aspects of food products addressing the needs of pregnant women and infants

Food safety is a primary concern for pregnant women and infants as the immune system is weakened during pregnancy and not developed enough in infants, which makes them especially vulnerable to suffering from the negative effects of nonquality food products. However, food contaminations not only affect an individual's health but also a country's economic development, social harmony, food trade and even politics, as seen during the Chinese infant formula crisis in 2008. Thus, quality control is crucial in the production processes in order to have safe food products on the market. But quality control alone is not enough: manufacturers must embrace quality beyond classic in-process parameters and perform a final microbiological analysis at the end of the production process. This requires a clear and trustworthy approach to quality and safety and the involvement of all stakeholders from industry, government and academia over policy makers to consumers. This paper provides an introductory context for current quality management systems and gives real-life examples of challenges that manufacturers face during quality management and control throughout the production process.

A rapid immunomagnetic beads-based immunoassay for the detection of β-casein in bovine milk

An immunomagnetic beads-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IMBs-ELISA) was developed for the detection of β-casein in bovine milk. Immunomagnetic beads (IMBs) were employed as the solid phase. The anti-β-casein monoclonal antibody (McAb) bound to IMBs was used as capture probe and an anti-β-casein polyclonal antibody (PcAb), labelled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP), was employed as detector probe. Three reaction and two washing steps were needed. Each reaction needed 10 min or less, which significantly shortened detection compared with classic sandwich ELISA. β-Casein in bovine milk was detected across a linear range (2-128 μg mL(-1)). Application results were in accordance with the Kjejdahl method, which suggests the IMBs-ELISA is rapid and reliable for the detection of β-casein in bovine milk.

Utility of CT Scan in detection of melamine--associated urinary stones

OBJECTIVE

To detail the utility of CT scan in detection of urinary stones induced by melamine tainted formula.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 1062 children fed with melamine-contaminated infant formula were screened for urinary stones in our institute from September through December 2008. Ultrasonography of the urinary tract system was performed in all these children. If the children with suspected stones or severe obstruction were presented after ultrasound examination, the multi-detector row CT urographic examination was advocated subsequently.

RESULTS

Ultrasound examination in combination with multi-detector row CT urography could increase the diagnostic rate from 3.4% (36/1062) by ultrasound examination alone to 4.6% (49/1062).

CONCLUSIONS

The specificity and sensitivity of the multi-detector row CT urographic examination is higher than ultrasonography.