Melamine
in Imported Products - Latest Information
June 4, 2007 - On June 4, 2007, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is
implementing a compliance verification strategy related to potential contamination of
certain products with melamine or cyanuric acid. With implementation of this strategy,
importers of vegetable protein concentrate products need to demonstrate that their imports
are free from melamine and cyanuric acid (free from melamine and cyanuric acid means that
neither chemical is detected at a level of 10 mg per kg or greater), before those products
may be used in or as food or livestock feed in Canada. This is required regardless of the
country of origin of the product or the shipment.
This action is in addition to the border lookout on vegetable protein concentrates of
Chinese origin. That border lookout remains in place.
The products to which these measures apply are as follows:
Wheat gluten
Wheat protein
Wheat protein concentrate
Rice gluten
Rice protein
Rice protein concentrate
Corn gluten
Corn proteins
Corn protein concentrate
Corn-by products
Soy protein concentrate
Soy protein isolate
Mung bean protein
Protein hydrolysates
Amino acids (and their salts - include MSG-monosodium glutamate)
These products are of interest to the CFIA if they are being imported for use in or as
food or livestock feed.
When a shipment of one of these products arrives at the border or is presented for
clearance in advance of arrival, one of the following will happen:
1.
If the shipment is a product that was manufactured in China then it will be
handled according to the border lookout for those products that is currently in place.
2.
If the product was manufactured in a country other than China, then the
importer will be asked to provide a certificate of analysis from an acceptable laboratory
using an acceptable method of analysis that shows that the shipment is free from
detectable levels of melamine and cyanuric acid. The acceptable methods of analysis
are:
Determination of Melamine using Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Mass
Spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) and Screening for Cyanuric Acid using Liquid Chromatography
Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) (CFIA methods);
GC-MS Method for Screening and Confirmation of Melamine and Related Analogs (USFDA
method); and
A method that is based on mass spectrometry methods, has sensitivity to 10 mg per kg or
less and is used by a Canadian private sector laboratory that is accredited by the
Standards Council of Canada to ISO 17025.
The acceptable laboratories are:
The CFIA laboratory in Calgary;
Canadian private sector laboratories accredited by the Standards
Council of Canada to ISO 17025 (www.scc.ca);
United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) laboratories;
USFDA Food Emergency Response Network laboratories; and
United States Customs and Border Protection laboratories.
Acceptability of other laboratories will be assessed by the Science Branch of the CFIA
on a case-by-case basis.
The CFIA methods will be made available upon request to:
Stan Bacler
National Manager,
Food Chemistry Laboratory Program, CFIA
Telephone: 613-221-7080
E-mail: sbacler@inspection.gc.ca
Facsimile: 613-221-7235
The certificate of analysis must include the following information:
product, lot number and quantity that match the import documents;
information to identify the laboratory as an acceptable laboratory as listed above;
the method of analysis that was used;
analytical results for melamine (amount found or indicate not detected at 10
mg per kg);
analytical results for cyanuric acid (amount found or indicate not detected
at 10 mg per kg);
date of analysis; and
name and signature of the analyst.
If an acceptable certificate of analysis is provided, the shipment may be sampled and
tested by the CFIA, as part of a random sampling program to verify the test results that
accompanied the shipment. This sampling and testing will be at a lower frequency than the
sampling and testing of products that are not accompanied by acceptable certificates of
analysis.
3.
If no acceptable certificate can be produced then the product may be
detained, sampled and tested by the CFIA. This sampling and testing will be at a higher
frequency than the sampling and testing of products that are accompanied by acceptable
certificates of analysis. Once two lots of a product from a manufacturer have been tested
and found to be satisfactory, that product from that manufacturer will be held and tested
at a lower frequency. Products that are analysed and found not to contain detectable
levels of melamine will be released for use.
Products that are found to contain detectable levels of melamine will need to be
disposed of in an appropriate manner (e.g., destruction, return to origin).
Importers that wish to expedite the clearance of their shipments should ensure that
their shipments are accompanied by acceptable certificates of analysis.
If you require additional information, please contact:
REGION
RESPONSIBILITY
CONTACT
TELEPHONE
Atlantic - NS
Feed
Rob Murray
902-426-1410
Atlantic - PEI
Feed
Shawn MacEachern
902-566-7290 x2043
Atlantic - NB
Feed
Aaron Perry
506-451-2518
Atlantic
Food
David McLennon
709-772-6746
Quebec
Feed
Mike Vehlo
514-283-3815 x4377
Quebec
Food
Andrée Lapalme
514-283-3815 x4296
Ontario
Feed
John Secord
519-826-2910
Ontario
Food
Maureen Howes
416-727-8140
West
Feed
Megan McAllister
604-666-0994
West
Food
Richard Smith
604-666-3148
