Download chemistry 1000 - U of L Class Index

CHEMISTRY 1000
Topics of Interest #4:
Melamine,
The Molecule That Won’t Go Away
What is Melamine?

Melamine has the molecular formula C6H6N6
H2N
N
C
C
N
N
NH2
or
C
NH2

It is used as a building block in plastics known as “melamine resins”.
These plastics are made by reacting melamine with formaldehyde.
They are very hard and are used in products like white boards,
kitchen cabinets, ready-to-assemble furniture and laminate flooring.
H2N
Why is Melamine in the News?
N
C
C
N
NH2
N
C
NH2

Recently, melamine has been turning up where it doesn’t belong!




On March 15, 2007, the US FDA learned that some brands of pet food
were making animals very ill – even killing some! This was traced to
vegetable proteins imported from China which were found to contain
melamine. There was a large-scale recall of pet food and the
responsible individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury.
More recently, some brands of Chinese powdered milk made over
50,000 children ill, killing at least four. On Monday, Chinese officials
reported that 22 individuals had been detained by police for their
involvement.
Some products containing milk powder have turned up contaminated
as well – the most recent example being cookies in the Netherlands.
Why on Earth would anyone put plastic precursors in food???!!!!
H2N
Why is Melamine in the News?
N
C
C
N
NH2
N
C
NH2

Sadly, the answer (as it so often is) is money.

Melamine looks a lot like protein. It has a lot of nitrogen atoms and
undergoes many of the same reactions as proteins.
H2N
N
C
C
N
N
C
NH2
O
O
NH2
+
H3N
vs.
H
N
N
H
O
O
+
NH3
(chain too short to be a protein but gives you the idea)




When officials test food for protein content, melamine makes it look
like the food contains more protein than it really does.
A company can therefore process lower quality plant matter and add
melamine to make it look higher quality. And kill pets.
Or they can water down milk, making it stretch farther, then add
melamine to make it look like it has a normal amount of protein.
And kill babies.
After all, melamine’s dirt cheap and therefore great for the company’s
bottom line. Except for the part where it can kill.
H2N
What Can We Do?
N
C
C
N
NH2
N
C
NH2



The good news (such as it is) is that adding melamine to foods is
not profitable in the long term. Nobody will want to buy food from
a company that has been shown to do this. Hopefully, the potential
fines and prison terms will also serve as deterrents.
A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Surely, if companies
learned that melamine would “beat the tests”, testing organizations
should have known that too. We need diligent scientists who
keep up with all the advances in their fields.
Education is also key. If the companies had understood how toxic
melamine would prove to be (and that it could potentially put them
out of business), they might have chosen safer ways to cut costs.
We need science-literate people making business decisions.
(It’d be nice to have them making political decisions too…)