Occurrence of Melamine and Its Derivatives in Breast Milk from the United States and Its Implications for Exposure in Infants

Melamine received public and regulatory attention in 2008 following a scandal that involved the adulteration of milk and infant formula in China that affected tens of thousands of infants. Little is known about human exposure and the food chain transfer of melamine and its derivatives. In this study, melamine, cyanuric acid, ammeline, and ammelide were analyzed in 100 human milk samples collected from the United States during the period of 2009-2012. ∑Melamine (sum of melamine and its three derivatives) was found in breast milk at concentrations that ranged from 0.176 to 10.0 ng/mL (median: 1.40 ng/mL). Cyanuric acid was the major derivative, accounting for 73% of the total concentrations, followed by melamine (21%). No remarkable associations were noted between melamine and cyanuric acid concentrations and maternal/infant characteristics. The cumulative daily intakes of melamine (16.9-30.6 ng/kg bw/day) and cyanuric acid (88.8-161 ng/kg bw/day) were calculated for breast-fed infants and were found to be 1-2 orders of magnitude below the current tolerable daily intake. This is the first study to report the distribution of melamine and its derivatives in breast milk from the United States.