Abstract
Melamine is an organic-based chemical material widely used in the production of tableware. Given the adverse effects of melamine on human health, melamine tableware can be a source for its introduction into the human body. The aim of this study was to use a simple method for monitoring the rate of melamine migration from the tableware to food and the effect of time and tableware on this migration. To measure the migration, spectrophotometry was used. The limit of detection (LOD) of the method was 0.2 (μg/ml), which is functional for measuring the rate of migration. The investigation of sample migration of melamine tableware revealed that migration has occurred across all samples. The rate of migration in all samples was less than the standard level of the European Union (30 μg/ml). Statistical analysis indicated that time is an important factor in melamine migration, which significantly increased (p<0.05) in 93% of cases with lengthening the contact time from 30 minutes to 90 minutes. The type of tableware (new or old) and production conditions (standard or non-standard) were found to significantly affect (p<0.001) the rate of migration. Statistical analysis of the results suggested that old tableware increased melamine migration in 41% of cases (p<0.05). Non-standard tableware significantly (p<0.001) increased the rate of migration and thus the effect of non-standard production on melamine tableware was more significant than the age of the tableware.