Melamine testing was unreliable by Chinese testing standards. Independent world testing facilities have reviewed these products. Australia and the U.S. standards require thresholds below 2.5(ppm) parts per million. It is considered safe for adults to eat products with less than 2.5(ppm) melamine. Melamine, a synthetic industrial chemical can stay in the human body at most several days and then is excreted. The dangers for premature infants are not sufficiently known in the U.S. The hazards to yound children are known.

State officials in Connecticut recalled candies which were tested for melamine and found positive. California recalled Blue Cat Flavor Drinks because of the results of melamine testing. U.S. consumers were cautioned regarding consumption of any form of milk or protein, biscuits, cake mixes, high-protein energy bars, chocolate coated treats and sweets.

Two “editorial” points:
1. The similarities between the CAM advocates and the right-wing, fundamentalists is… well… striking.
2. Efforts to save ignorant Americans from themselves are always doomed to failure.

Just like the infomercials that hawk every possible “amazing” item for $19.95… the televangelist charlatans hawking “miracles”… the bogus claims of fad diets & goofy exercise machines… those in the CAM industry, like relatively mainstream chiropractitioners, will always have a hopeful herd of lemmings to keep the “cha-ching” ringing.

Harkin is merely engaging in what just about every politician does: pandering to a “interest group”.

You need to read the rest of the transcript, or at least the two blog posts I linked to at SBM.

Harkin said that he feels the problem is the NCCAM focuses too much on falsifying rather than approving. He is clearly blaming the process – not just lamenting that CAM doesn’t work. Also, he is holding a hearing the specified purpose of which is to integrate CAM more into mainstream medicine. Why would he want to integrate something that he is disappointed doesn’t work?

There is really little doubt as to what he is saying when it is all taken together in context.

The cost/outcome of medicine in America is a complex problem, and it is not clear at all that how much of the differences between the US and Europe are due to health care delivery. We have different populations, different problems with poverty, obesity, and other risk factors. Americans work harder than Europeans – that comes with added stress.

Also, Americans pay for much more “optional” medicine that does not affect life expectancy but may affect quality of life – like expensive treatments for migraine headaches.

Yes, there are plenty of systemic problems, mainly with access and efficiency. Health delivery problems does not imply a problem with the science of medicine, however. Harkin is trying to fix something that is not the problem, and in fact he is trying to take the one thing that works and break it.

Well this is capitalism at its fullest too. People are equally free to buy crap peddled by charlatans as well as substances sold by medical multi-billion dollar companies. I am well aware that I sound extremely crass and insensitive with my next statement: but death occurs both due to “supplements” as well as FDA approved substances.

That is a sad fact.