Melamine and your health

Learn about melamine, its potential health risks and how to reduce your exposure.

On this page

• About melamine
• Safety of melamine
• What we're doing
• What you can do

About melamine

Melamine does not occur naturally in the environment. It's a human-made substance used in the manufacture of melamine-based resins in laminates and in plastics. It's also used as a flame retardant in polyurethane foams, paints and coatings.

People in Canada may be exposed to melamine from using certain products, such as:

• plastics
• laminates
• cooktop cleaner
• paints and coatings
• products containing foam, such as:
  • upholstered furniture
  • mattresses and bedding
  • infant and child restraint systems, including booster seats
• inkjet ink
• glues or adhesives
• whiteboards and flakeboards
• thermally fused paper and shelving
• sealants for mechanical, electrical and plumbing applications
• tableware, dishes and kitchen utensils containing melamine, or melaware (including those made of bamboo)

Melamine may also be used in food packaging products, such as:

• films for milk packaging
• paper used to package bread or margarine
• coatings inside of metal lids for bottles and jars
• coatings inside of cans (excluding infant formula)

Chemicals make their way into our environments from many sources, including from industrial processes and from the products we use, like furniture and electronics. As a result, we're exposed to small amounts of many chemicals, including melamine, in:

• food
• water
• house dust

Safety of melamine

Under Canada's Chemicals Management Plan, we review and manage the potential risks that chemical substances can pose to people in Canada and the environment. The first stage of the review process is a draft chemical risk assessment. We've completed the draft assessment of melamine.

Our assessment found that melamine may be harmful to human health when it's ingested, inhaled or comes into contact with skin from certain products available to consumers. This includes the following products:

• cooktop cleaners
• paints and sealants
• tableware, dishes and kitchen utensils containing melamine, or melaware (including those made of bamboo)
• products containing foam, such as:
  • mattresses
  • mattress toppers
  • upholstered furniture
  • foam objects, including textile coverings
  • infant and child restraint systems, including booster seats

Exposures to melamine from these products may:

• cause cancer
• affect the urinary system
• affect the reproductive system

We're also proposing that melamine is not harmful to the environment.

What we're doing

Our assessment is not yet final. We're continuing to evaluate the potential risk posed by melamine before we publish our final conclusion. This includes:

• tracking new information on exposures or hazards
• asking the public to comment on our draft assessment and risk management scope
• reviewing and using new information and public comments to help inform our final assessment

If the proposed findings for melamine are confirmed in the final assessment, we will consider:

• adding melamine to Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
  • this would allow Canada to implement preventive or control actions for the lifecycle of the substance, including:
    • research and development
    • manufacture
    • use
    • storage
    • transport
    • disposal or recycling

We will also consider taking action to reduce exposures to melamine used in:

• cooktop cleaners
• paints and sealants
• tableware, dishes and kitchen utensils containing melamine, including those made of bamboo
• products made with flexible polyurethane foams, such as:
  • mattresses
  • mattress toppers
  • upholstered furniture
  • other foam-based products
  • infant and child restraint systems, including booster seats

There are also existing measures in place to protect people in Canada from exposures to melamine, including:

• Canada does not allow melamine to be used as a food ingredient or additive.
  • However, very low levels of melamine could be found in food due to its industrial uses, including byproducts from pesticides and fertilizers. Because of this, Health Canada has set interim maximum levels for melamine in products containing milk and milk-derived ingredients. These levels were set to protect all people in Canada, including the most sensitive populations, such as infants and children.
• Melamine in food packaging materials is regulated under the Food and Drugs Act.
• Canada has established maximum residue limits for pesticides that degrade to melamine to ensure levels found in food and drinking water are safe.

You may provide any comments on our assessment and risk management scope during the 60-day public comment period.

What you can do

You can take steps to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals.

Read product labels and follow all safety warnings and directions.

Most products available to consumers don't provide a list of ingredients. If you're unsure if your product contains melamine, contact the manufacturer.

If you're exposed to melamine at work, talk to your employer and occupational health and safety (OHS) official about:

• relevant laws
• safe handling and storage practices
• requirements under OHS legislation and the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)

Related links

• Flame retardants
• Chemical risk assessment
• Use household chemicals safely
• Measuring your exposure to chemicals
• Canada's systems for addressing chemicals
• Overview of the Chemicals Management Plan
• Natural Health Products Ingredients Database

For industry and professionals

• Risk assessment of chemical substances
• Melamine – information sheet