Melamine Tableware - CHOICE # 389

Consumers and restaurant operators are cautioned to use melamine tableware with care to prevent potential leaching of contaminants from the utensils.

This followed recent reports that such contaminants as formaldehyde and melamine were found leaching from melamine-made food containers and cutlery.

The chemical melamine has also been closely associated with tainted pet food and dairy products recently.

Melamine tableware is inexpensive and durable and widely in use both at homes and restaurants in diverse applications - bowls, plates, cups, spoons, forks, chopsticks, ladles, trays, lids, etc.

The Consumer Council has checked the melamine tableware available in the market for product instruction to remind consumers not to use it in a microwave oven.

The risk of leaching harmful substances is increased if a melamine ware is heated up in a microwave oven.

The result was disappointing: only a minority of these utensils were found to bear the necessary instruction "do not use in microwave oven" as a safety precaution against leaching.

Consumers are advised also to observe the following safety tips in the use of melamine tableware:

• Do not use it to hold acidic or very hot food and drink for a long period of time.
• Do not scrape the surface with sharp cutlery or cleaning tools.
• Choose plain melamine ware or those with less or no colourful patterns on food-contacting surface.

The migration of formaldehyde and melamine from melamine-made food containers is regulated under the European Commission Directive 2002/72/EC.

Formaldehyde is restricted by a specific migration limit of 15mg/kg or 2.5 mg/dm2 while melamine 30mg/kg or 5mg/dm2.