Published on ShanghaiDaily.com (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/)
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200810/20081030/article_378840.htm
Professor denies melamine link
Created: 2008-10-30 18:09:45
Author:Lydia Chen
A PROFESSOR at China’s top academic institution has denied that one of his inventions of an animal feed addictive was the origin of the spreading melamine-tainted egg scandal across the country.
Gao Yinxiang, a professor at the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said his invention titled “DH protein feed additive technology” in 1999 is “in no way” to produce melamine, a toxic chemical that has already been found in eggs and milk powder, Shanghai Evening News reported today.
Four Chinese brands of eggs were identified containing melamine in Hong Kong and Hangzhou City. The melamine was probably added to the feed given to chickens that laid the contaminated eggs, according to previous reports.
Gao explained to the newspaper that his technology uses organic nitrogen with a catalyst to synthesize feed containing high-levels of protein. He added that the temperature required for this reaction is within 100 degrees Celsius, far below the 400-degree temperature needed to make melamine.
Gao said his technology was meant to produce feed for animals like cows and sheep as they have special stomachs that can break down non-protein nitrogen during digestion, the newspaper said.
But other animals like chickens can not break down non-protein nitrogen, which leads to eggs containing melamine, the paper added.
The melamine-contaminated eggs have not caused any reported illnesses thus far.
The chemical can lead to kidney stones and possibly life-threatening kidney failure.
Four babies died and tens of thousands were sickened in last month’s milk scandal triggered by dairy suppliers who added melamine to watered-down milk to dupe quality control tests and make the product appear rich in protein.
Gao Yinxiang, a professor at the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said his invention titled “DH protein feed additive technology” in 1999 is “in no way” to produce melamine, a toxic chemical that has already been found in eggs and milk powder, Shanghai Evening News reported today.
Four Chinese brands of eggs were identified containing melamine in Hong Kong and Hangzhou City. The melamine was probably added to the feed given to chickens that laid the contaminated eggs, according to previous reports.
Gao explained to the newspaper that his technology uses organic nitrogen with a catalyst to synthesize feed containing high-levels of protein. He added that the temperature required for this reaction is within 100 degrees Celsius, far below the 400-degree temperature needed to make melamine.
Gao said his technology was meant to produce feed for animals like cows and sheep as they have special stomachs that can break down non-protein nitrogen during digestion, the newspaper said.
But other animals like chickens can not break down non-protein nitrogen, which leads to eggs containing melamine, the paper added.
The melamine-contaminated eggs have not caused any reported illnesses thus far.
The chemical can lead to kidney stones and possibly life-threatening kidney failure.
Four babies died and tens of thousands were sickened in last month’s milk scandal triggered by dairy suppliers who added melamine to watered-down milk to dupe quality control tests and make the product appear rich in protein.
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