Dongxin Melamine (Xiamen) Chemical Co., Ltd.

The Shanghai Municipal Market Supervision and Administration Bureau recently released a list of 9 batches of substandard melamine tableware. Five types of tableware were found to have substandard melamine migration levels, which has also drawn much attention to the safety of "melamine tableware".

In fact, melamine tableware is very common in the market. It is also known as imitation porcelain tableware and is essentially a kind of plastic product. However, the emergence of the term "melamine" has inevitably made consumers somewhat sensitive.

Is it safe to use melamine moulding compound as the raw material for melamine tableware? How to use it scientifically? On June 29th, Xiao Dehai, an assistant researcher at the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, told The Beijing News that qualified melamine tableware contains almost no free melamine or formaldehyde monomers and will not pose a threat to people. At the same time, he also reminds consumers that when using melamine tableware, the heating temperature should not exceed 120℃, and it should not be heated in a microwave oven, used at high temperatures, or used to hold oily foods, etc. Try to avoid using it under acidic conditions.

Melamine tableware is aesthetically pleasing, not easily broken, flame-retardant and has a long replacement cycle. These features are favored by some fast food restaurants and families. Melamine is an important nitrogen-containing heterocyclic organic chemical raw material. Is it safe to appear in melamine tableware?

Xiao Dehai told The Beijing News that the main raw material of melamine tableware is high-purity melamine resin, which is a high-molecular compound formed by the polymerization of melamine and formaldehyde. He said, "There is almost no free melamine or formaldehyde monomer in qualified products, and they will not cause harm to people."

The Shanghai Municipal Market Supervision Administration also pointed out in its random inspection and analysis of melamine tableware that using melamine as raw material to produce melamine tableware is a mature process. Melamine formaldehyde resin is very stable below 120 degrees Celsius. As long as the production process is up to standard, consumers need not worry.

According to the requirements of GB 4806.7-2016 (National Food Safety Standard - Plastic Materials and Articles for Food Contact), the detection condition for melamine migration in melamine tableware is soaking in a 4% acetic acid solution at 70℃ for 2 hours. In daily life, the actual usage conditions are far lower than these test conditions.

It should be noted that melamine tableware is not durable. Xiao Dehai told The Beijing News that melamine tableware should be used scientifically. "The service life of melamine tableware is generally two to three years. During use, if the tableware shows signs such as cracking, discoloration, deformation or scratches, it should be stopped immediately."

The reporter from The Beijing News learned that when using melamine tableware, it should not be used in an environment with a large temperature difference, otherwise it is easy to cause cracking. When cleaning melamine tableware, do not use scouring pads, scouring powder, etc. to clean the surface of the tableware, as they will scratch the surface of the tableware and make it more prone to contamination. In addition, try not to steam or boil food in a pot with melamine tableware. High temperatures can cause toxic substances that may be present in the colored patterns or the material of the tableware to leach out.

Xiao Dehai reminds that qualified melamine tableware purchased should also be treated before use. It can be boiled in white vinegar or water for about 5 minutes, and then let the tableware soak until it cools down naturally. On the one hand, this disinfects and sterilizes, and on the other hand, it promotes the dissolution or volatilization of residual harmful substances.