Friday Fax (weekly newsletter)
Special fax 25 September 2008
Professor John Horvath AO, Chief Medical Officer has requested that the RACGP urgently disseminates the following information as a matter of high priority. The college recommends that you become familiar with the following:
Advice to GPs – melamine contamination of White Rabbit Creamy Candy
This alert is to notify medical practitioners that a brand of confectionary ‘White Rabbit Creamy Candy’ has potentially been contaminated with a toxic chemical substance, melamine.
It has not been confirmed that candy contaminated with melamine has been distributed to Australian consumers. This notice is being provided on a precautionary basis to assist with identifying cases of toxicity which might occur.
Product description
White Rabbit Creamy Candy is an individually wrapped dairy confectionary which comes in bags displaying a large white rabbit.
Melamine contamination of White Rabbit Creamy Candy
Melamine is a toxic industrial chemical which is thought to have been added to milk products produced in China. Contaminated milk has been used to manufacture confectionaries which have then been exported.
White Rabbit Creamy Candy sold in Singapore and New Zealand has been found to contain potentially dangerous levels of melamine.
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ), the Australian Food Regulator, is currently investigating whether White Rabbit Creamy Candy available in Australia has also been contaminated with melamine.
Toxicity of melamine
Melamine is not metabolised rapidly and is excreted in urine. Melamine concentrated in urine can result in inflammation of the bladder and the formation of kidney or bladder stones.
Symptoms and signs of melamine toxicity
Symptoms of melamine toxicity observed in children exposed to contaminated dairy products. These include: unexplained crying, especially when urinating, vomiting, heamaturia, oliguria or anuria, flank pain, stones in urine.
White Rabbit Creamy Candy may have been purchased in an Asian food store or incidentally consumed at an Asian restaurant.
Management of patients with suspected melamine toxicity
A child who has a history of: consuming White Rabbit Creamy Candy or spending time in China and displays signs/symptoms of potential toxicity should be referred to a hospital with paediatric facilities for assessment.
Further information
Information on melamine contamination is available on the World
Health Organization website at
www.who.int/foodsafety
Additional information is available from Food Standards Australia
and New Zealand (FSANZ) at
www.foodstandards.gov.au/
Approved for electronic distribution by
Professor John Horvath AO
Chief Medical Officer
Health and Ageing
25 September 2008
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