Melamine Scare: Are Chinese Fish Imports Safe?

Photo: Philip Sasser/Istock

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Seafood on Chinese fish farms have "routinely" been fed feed laced with melamine, and the toxic industrial chemical can be found in the flesh of the fish, according to consumer advocates and scientists quoted in the Los Angeles Times. The Times report is a must-read for those concerned about the safety of the food supply, particularly imports from China.

China is the world's largest exporter of farm-raised seafood.

The latest information about melamine is not reflected here, but consult with Environmental Defense's Seafood Selector to determine the best seafood choices — those that are fished or farmed sustainably, and which have both high levels of nutritious omega-3 fatty acids and low levels of mercury and PCBs.

Melamine first entered the lexicon of most Americans last year when the chemical was found in pet foods that sickened or killed thousands of pets after it was apparently added to pet foods to boost the apparent level of protein. Melamine mimics protein in tests commonly used to determine protein content, but it can be toxic. Melamine has since been identified in a range of Chinese human food products, including most notably infant formula. Thousands of infants developed painful kidney stones, and several died, from that contamination event, and some baby food in the U.S. and Canada has also tested positive for melamine, though at levels the FDA deems safe. Certain Wonderfarm biscuits, and certain G&J hot cocoa products, have recently been recalled in the U.S. because of the presence of melamine.

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