The Detection of Melamine in Milk Products

A recent increase in the incidence of urinary tract stones, renal disease (such as urolithiasis) and associated death in infants has been reported in China. Since urinary tract stones are such a rarity in children, an investigation into the cause was commissioned. As a result, it is now believed that the disorder is associated with the ingestion of infant formula contaminated with melamine, which was added to raw milk products to boost the apparent protein content. Regulatory authorities have consequently published tolerable daily intakes (TDI) in line with recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO). In order for compliance to occur, sensitive and specific analytical methods with rapid detection and quantification are required. This article investigates the use of ELISA as a simple, low-cost and high-throughput melamine screening assay in combination with different microplate photometers.