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After Chinese authorities detected melamine contamination in eggs in Hong Kong earlier this week, Thai FDA inspectors collected seven samples from three local companies, including Quality Meat Co (Doctor Hence brand), Rung Arun Farm Co and Bangkok Agro-Industrial Products (CP brand). Test results from the Medical Science Department found no melamine contamination in the egg samples.

Melamine is a toxic chemical used in the manufacture of plastics and fertilisers. It was previously detected in Chinese milk and dairy products.

Milk powder containing melamine was responsible for the deaths of four infants in China, while another 54,000 have fallen ill.

In a bid to prevent adverse effects from melamine contamination in all food products, Thailand's FDA has issued regulations allowing no more than 1 milligram per kilogram of melamine in milk products and no more than 2.5mg/kg in milk-based products.

So far, the FDA has collected 1,123 samples of milk and milk-based products to test for melamine contamination. Of those, only seven have tested positive, 955 have tested negative, and 161 are still being tested.

The FDA is now randomly testing 150,000 cans of Mali-brand unsweetened condensed skimmed milk with palm-oil formula, produced by The Thai Dairy Industry Co, after the product was found to be contaminated with melamine at a rate of 92.82mg/kg. Full results will be released next week, he said.

Pipat urged the company to act responsibly and obtain raw materials only from FDA-accredited suppliers.

For those mothers who are concerned about the safety of powdered infant-milk formula after the FDA found a small amount of melamine contamination in some products, Pipat suggested they breastfeed their babies instead.