The Science Behind Melamine: Why It's Safe for Your Family

If you’re looking for a new set of dinnerware, you’ve probably found a long list of options. From glass and porcelain to plastic and beyond, numerous products are on the market right now. Each one has its benefits, and certain drawbacks also enter the mix. 

Some are beautiful, but they’re a bit too expensive for everyday use. They’re more suitable for displaying in a China cabinet, only to be brought out on special occasions. Others, like basic plastic, are inexpensive, but they don’t last very long. You’re probably well aware that you get what you pay for, and cheap plastic is a prime example. Some dishes offer a nice blend of beauty and practicality, but they may not be quite as durable as you’d like. 

Stepping Outside the Box

One standout product breaks the mold, so to speak: melamine. Dishes made of this material have been on the market for about 70 years now, and they’ve been gaining popularity all the while. At this point, a vast range of melamine dinnerware is available, including dinner plates, soup bowls, salad plates, pasta bowls, cups, glasses, and many other pieces. They come in countless shapes, colors, and patterns as well. 

Why Is Melamine So Popular Now?

Melamine dishes have made their way into millions of homes and restaurants. They’re replacing many of the standard alternatives. Why is melamine so popular now, though? What makes it so special? People are choosing it over other options for several reasons. 

• Aesthetic Appeal - One of the pull factors of melamine dishes is their aesthetic appeal. As mentioned, they come in numerous attractive colors and patterns. That means you can easily find one that suits your style and meshes with your kitchen decor. 

• Durability and Longevity - Melamine dinnerware is also durable and long lasting. It’s not easy to break, and it doesn’t wear out with repeated use. It’ll last for years without fading, chipping, and cracking as long as you take reasonable care of it. Since it’s nonporous, it won’t absorb food residue and become stained and discolored over time. 

• Insulation - Melamine is a great insulator as well. It can keep hot foods warm and cold foods cool much more effectively than many other types of dinnerware. Heat and cold don’t penetrate through melamine, either. As such, melamine dishes filled with hot foods or beverages won’t burn your hands or leave unsightly discolored patches on your dining room table. 

• Dishwasher Safe - Additionally, melamine tableware is dishwasher safe. That makes meal cleanup fast and simple. You don’t have to worry about your melamine dishes warping or fading in the dishwasher, either. 

Those are some of the reasons melamine dishes have become so popular. Because of their durability and longevity, they don’t have to be replaced nearly as often as other types of dishes. They’re perfect for both indoor and outdoor use, and they can handle any type of food or beverage you need them to. 

How Is Melamine Manufactured?

Melamine in its initial stage is a powdered resin. It’s an organic compound that’s composed of several naturally occurring elements. To create dishes, it’s mixed with synthetic polymers, pigments, and other materials to give it color and added strength. From there, it’s heated to extremely high temperatures and formed into the desired shape and size through injection molding. Some melamine dishes are created using hydraulic pressure rather than the injection-molding process. 

Heat and pressure alter the composition of raw melamine and the other compounds it’s mixed with to create an entirely new, chemically stable material. Once they’re molded, the newly formed dishes are left to cool and harden. Lovely designs and patterns may be added after the fact as well. In the end, manufacturers are left with a beautiful, long-lasting finished product. 

Is Melamine Safe?

Despite its popularity and numerous advantages, many people are concerned about the safety of melamine. Quite a bit of conflicting information is available on that topic. In truth, melamine dishes are completely safe. They’ve been approved for human use by the FDA and other agencies. They don’t leach chemicals into foods and beverages, and they don’t produce the same harmful off-gassing as certain other materials. 

Much of the negative press surrounding the safety of melamine dinnerware comes from misunderstandings. Some sources are quick to point out that the raw material itself is sometimes used in fertilizers because of its high nitrogen content. That doesn’t make it dangerous, though. 

Keep in mind that nitrogen makes up more than 75 percent of the air we breathe, and it’s an element the body needs to survive.The chemicals added to melamine to create fertilizers are what make it potentially harmful, and those are completely different than the compounds mixed with melamine to make dishes. 

Another concern about the safety of melamine stems from some of the byproducts its compounds generate when they’re initially combined. Those could be considered harmful in high concentrations, but they dissipate during the manufacturing process. It’s very similar to the way alcohol evaporates when you cook with wine, liquor, or beer. By the time melamine dishes reach your home, those byproducts are long gone. 

Having said all that, it’s important to choose high-quality melamine dinnerware from reputable manufacturers. If it’s not manufactured properly or it’s mixed with questionable compounds during production, it may not meet the FDA’s stringent safety standards. If you stumble upon melamine dishes that seem impossibly inexpensive, it’s generally best to stay away from them. 

Making Melamine Dishes a Fixture in Your Home

Melamine is a fixture in many industries. In all likelihood, it’s already an integral part of your home. Because of its insulative properties, it’s used in electrical components. Due to its heat resistance and certain other qualities, it’s commonly used to make fire-retardant products and flame-resistant clothing and upholstery. It’s also the perfect material for dishes. 

Melamine dinnerware is highly popular right now, and it’s going to continue to gain steam. It’s beautiful, durable, versatile, and easy to take care of. It’s also completely safe as long as it comes from a trusted manufacturer. With all that being the case, there’s no reason not to make melamine dishes a fixture in your home.