Prevalence of Melamine and Cyanuric Acid in Powdered Dairy Products in Egypt

This study was conducted to screen melamine and cyanuric acid in powdered dairy products, which becomes a high safety concern, as considered one of the scanty surveys in Egypt. A total of 140 samples (fifty whole milk powder, thirty samples of each; skim milk powder, powdered infant milk formula, and dried milk-cereal-based infant formula were collected from Egyptian markets and pharmacies. Samples were analyzed for the presence of melamine and cyanuric acid using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Melamine was detected in 15/50 of whole milk powder, 22/30 of skim milk powder, 20/30 of powdered infant milk formula, and 25/30 milk-cereal-based infant formula samples. Meanwhile, cyanuric acid couldn't be detected in any examined samples, as its concentration was < 0.05 mg/kg. This investigation initially proceeded in Egypt for melamine and cyanuric acid detection in milk-cereal-based infant formula and skim milk powder. It is targeted for re-attention from concerned authorities to these toxic chemicals.