12 Dec, 2008 - US authorities have begun testing certain domestically produced baby foods, sausages, meatballs and meat products amid concerns of melamine contamination.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it had ordered the testing regime on fears that imported dairy products tainted with the industrial chemical may have been added to the range of domestically manufactured foodstuffs.
A US Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) spokeswoman, explaining the reasoning behind the announcement this week, said a number of domestic meat products sometimes contained imported ingredients.
A document released by the FSIS said: "In light of recent disclosures of melamine being found in certain imported food products, FSIS has determined that it is prudent to do a small amount of sampling to see if there is any reason to be concerned about the presence of this chemical in meat and poultry products."
The body said the announcement had been made to inform investigators that they were to be asked to "collect certain types of products at retail stores for testing for the presence of melamine".
Some 45 samples will be collected by the USDA weekly for a period of 12 weeks from retail outlets. Samples will be taken from baby food that contains meat or poultry, cooked sausages and hot dogs, breaded chicken products and pizza or pizza-like products.
The US imported 4,162 tons of Chinese dairy products last year and 1,750 tons in the first seven months of 2008, according to the USDA.