Kids & Company Blog

Oh Me Oh My Melamine: Parent Safety Tips to Reduce Chemical Leaching at Home

This blog was written by Jessica Mauricio Price, MS of the Eco-Healthy Child Care® Program of the Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN). Eco-Healthy Child Care® (EHCC) is a national program that partners with child care professionals to eliminate environmental hazards in early learning settings with the goal of protecting the health of children and staff. Kids & Company is a proud Eco-Healthy Child Care® endorsed provider.

CEHN’s Eco-Healthy Mission

The Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN) promotes healthier environments for children, advocating for safer child care settings. The tips mentioned below are transferable to home environments, helping parents create a safer space for their children by reducing exposure to harmful chemicals like melamine. Taking steps to reduce your child’s exposure to harmful chemicals today will contribute to their overall health and well-being as they grow.

What is Melamine?

Melamine is a man-made chemical used in various products, including children’s tableware,  and is a form of durable plastic resin. It does appear that melamine is useful, but is it safe for children? With certain precautions,  melamine tableware can be safely used at home until preferable alternative options can be purchased. As with any plastic product, care must be taken to ensure that chemicals do not move, or leach, from the tableware to food or drinks. Here are some ways that you can reduce the amount of chemicals that may travel from your tableware into food or drinks at home:

Avoid Heating Plastic in Microwaves or Convection Ovens

Never heat any type of plastic in a microwave oven or convection oven. When a plate or cup says it is microwave-safe, it does not mean it is safe for you. It simply means the plate or cup will not melt in the microwave (i.e., it is safe for the microwave). Heating plastic or melamine plates will increase the chemicals leaching into your food or beverage. Heat damages the polymer matrix in plastic tableware, causing more chemicals to be released over time which is not safe for your family.

Avoid Putting Hot Foods or Liquids in Plastic Tableware

Placing piping hot foods on plastic or melamine tableware also increases the chemicals that can migrate into your food or beverage. It is easy to teach your children that plastic does melt in heat like in the microwave, which is bad for their health, so don’t use it for hot foods.

Avoid Putting Acidic Foods or Liquids in Plastic Tableware

Avoid placing acidic food or liquids such as tomato-based dishes and citrus juices in plastic or melamine tableware. Acid can melt plastics - like science experiments that your children may be familiar with.

Do Not Wash Plastic in Dishwashers

Over time, heating plastic in dishwashers damages it, making it easier for chemicals to leach from the tableware into food. Avoid using UV sterilization on this type of tableware as well. Remind your children that plastic and heat do not mix!

Replace Damaged Tableware

Recycle or discard plastic or melamine tableware when scratched, chipped, or warped. Once the polymers break down due to use, more chemicals will leach out. Take this opportunity to purchase safer children's tableware options, such as stainless steel, ceramics, and glass items. However, be wary of vintage ceramic pottery and glass dishes, as some may have lead paint in them.

When melamine is used with these considerations, the likelihood of chemicals moving into food at levels above known health-effect limits* can be lowered. For children with kidney function challenges, it is especially important to follow these recommendations or better yet, replace your plates with stainless steel (or glass and ceramics when the plate-throwing phase is over!). 

If you found this information helpful, consider donating to the Children’s Environmental Health Network so we can continue to provide caretakers with scientific yet easy-to-read content.

This blog was written by Jessica Mauricio Price, MS of the Eco-Healthy Child Care® Program of the Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN). Eco-Healthy Child Care® (EHCC) is a national program that partners with child care professionals to eliminate environmental hazards in early learning settings with the goal of protecting the health of children and staff. Kids & Company is a proud Eco-Healthy Child Care® endorsed provider.

Posted on: Friday July 26th, 2024

Posted by: Kids & Company