In response to incidences of melamine contamination in a variety of food and feed products, Bioo Scientific has validated new sample prep procedures for the MaxSignal® Melamine Enzymatic Assay using a broad range of sample types. Melamine contamination of food is a threat to public safety with multiple contamination incidences reported in the last few months. Melamine is a dangerous, nitrogen rich organic compound that is illegally added to food and feed to increase the apparent protein content values of food products. Consumption of melamine causes highly insoluble melamine cyanurate crystals to form in the kidney, which damage renal cells and can result in renal failure or death.
The MaxSignal® Melamine Enzymatic Assay Kit incorporates an aqueous extraction method into a rapid, inexpensive test that is able to detect down to 0.2 ppm of melamine. In addition to being used to screen milk products, soy products and infant formula; Bioo Scientific recently validated sample prep procedures for melamine screening in whole egg powder, poultry meat, wheat gluten, pig feed and chicken feed. Deliberate adulteration of wheat gluten with melamine was identified as the cause of the death of thousands of dogs and cats across the country in 2007.
