Federal regulators say eating a tiny bit of melamine is not harmful, except in baby formula.

The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that trace amounts of the industrial chemical that has touched off a global food safety scare are safe in most foods, except for baby formula.

A safety assessment by the agency concluded that 2.5 parts per million _ a tiny amount _ does not raise concerns. Melamine-tainted infant formula and milk have sickened and killed children in China, and authorities here have discovered melamine in some Chinese candies.