S. Korea imports 4,300 tons of Chinese cream products

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea imported 4,308 tons of Chinese dairy-based cream products this year that may have been contaminated with the
harmful industrial chemical melamine, health authorities said Friday.
In a report to the National Assembly, the Korea Food and Drug Administration
(KFDA) said that 145 individual shipments of various cream products were brought
into the country for use in coffee and tea, whip cream and casein, a protein that
accounts for 80 percent of milk and cheese proteins.
Chinese dairy products have been subject to scrutiny this month after it was
discovered that some Chinese manufacturers used melamine in baby formulas and
powdered milk. Thousands of babies have been admitted to hospitals, with four
deaths being reported so far.
Melamine is a nitrogen-based chemical that can cause kidney damage in humans and
even death in severe cases. It is used widely in kitchen utensils like ladles. If
added to food, it can fraudulently increase apparent protein content levels,
translating into higher prices.
The KFDA said that it was in the process of checking cream imports for melamine
contamination.
Many liquid creams added to coffee sold in the country do not have labels to
inform consumer of where the product comes from.
It, however, said that while Chinese cream may have been circulated, 85-90
percent of such products sold in the country were made by Dongsuh Co. that only
used casein from New Zealand.