Spectrum will vet raw materials for melamine risk

US fine chemical company Spectrum Chemicals & Laboratory Products has said it will start certifying all its raw material suppliers to make sure its products remain free of melamine contamination.

The move comes in response to the publication in August of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance document identifying various pharmaceutical components at risk of contamination with melamine.

The FDA published guidance in the wake of a scandal involving deliberate melamine contamination of  milk products in China which led to at least six deaths and more than 50,000 hospitalisations last year.

Spectrum says it will document the source of all raw materials used in the manufacturing process for at-risk ingredients, including an assessment of the manufacturing process itself, and is developing additional tests in its quality control laboratories to make sure its products are melamine-free.

"Spectrum remains steadfast in our resolve to safeguard our customers, and the downstream public, from melamine contamination and will continue to offer additional melamine certifications as they become available," commented Tom Tyner, Spectrum's vice president of quality control.

More information here.


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