Are melamine plates safe?
Melamine is a white crystalline compound, C3H6N6, used in making melamine resins and for tanning leather. Melamine is a trimer (polymer) of cyanamide, H2NC[tbond]N, and is synthesized from calcium carbide. It condenses with formaldehyde to give a thermosetting resin. Melamine resins have many uses, including the manufacture of plastic dishes under the trade name Melmac. The melamine incident in baby food in China was due to powdered melanine being added to raw milk to give a falsely high protein reading as milk in China is tested for protein content to show it hasn’t been watered down (in Europe we check for watering using freezing point depression to see if water has been added so we should pick it up any water adulteration despite other additions). My understanding is that this powdered melamine has caused many babies to develop kidney stones & some have died. Melamine is formed with heat & this process during manufacture should render it resistant to corrosion & other damage…. as
