S. Korea seeks better food screening amid melamine scare

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; REPHRASES paras 3, 4; ADDS with details from para 5)

By Shin Hae-in

SEOUL, Sept. 29 (Yonhap) -- As South Korea reels from an escalating scare over tainted food products from China, officials said Monday they plan to tighten the safety inspection process by integrating screening systems.

Seoul recently banned imports and recalled Chinese-made foodstuffs containing
powered milk after detecting traces of melamine, an industrial chemical, in six
brands.
The toxic chemical was found to have been added to Chinese baby formula to
artificially increase protein levels, killing at least four and sickening some
53,000 children. The discovery has devastated China's dairy industry. There have
not yet been reports of death or illnesses from the contaminated food in South
Korea.
"The current food monitoring is conducted by two different ministries which make
the process inefficient and insufficient," a ruling party official said after
attending a meeting of legislators and government officials Monday. "The ruling
party and the government agreed to integrate the multi-format screening."
Under the current system, processed goods are monitored by the Health Ministry,
while the Agriculture Ministry is in charge of screening agricultural and marine
products.
The government and the ruling party also agreed over the weekend on a package of
consumer protection measures, including a class action suit system for victims of
tainted food and tougher screening measures for imported food products.
A growing number of countries including South Korea have strengthened testing of
Chinese food imports as fears have grown that harmful ingredients may have been
used in cookies, chocolate bars or other products.
Although a small amount of melamine poses no danger, large dosage or continued
exposure to the chemical can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure,
according to health experts. Infants are particularly vulnerable.
China has been accused of muffling early warnings from activist groups and
mothers, allowing the problem to worsen domestically and internationally.
Melamine, which is used to make plastic and fertilizer, has been found in infant
formula and other milk products from 22 Chinese dairy companies.
The South Korean government is also under fire for its lack of alertness and
allegedly moving belatedly to confirm the safety of imported goods. The issue has
gained added attention ahead of the parliamentary inspection of the
administration, which is slated for next month.
"We cannot blame people for lacking confidence in the government as it has been
far too slow in coming up with countermeasures," said Rep. Park Soon-ja of the
ruling Grand National Party.
Opposition parties were more critical.
"The government has put the public health at risk with its scanty safety
measures," said Won Hye-young, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic
Party.
"The government should not make it seem as though melamine is not so dangerous
when it has already taken lives in China."