S. Korea seeks to suspend imports of harmful food products

SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's health authorities said Wednesday they
are seeking to suspend imports of food products found to have been contaminated
with harmful ingredients amid a growing scare over Chinese dairy.

The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) said that it will submit a bill to
the National Assembly that would allow authorities to suspend imports of
processed foods proved to be harmful to humans until companies announce measures
to enhance food safety.
The move comes amid a widening scandal over tainted Chinese dairy products. Four
Chinese infants have died so far from consuming milk containing melamine, and
tens of thousands of others have developed kidney stones or other illnesses.
South Korean authorities have not reported any local victims.
Melamine is a nitrogen-based industrial chemical that can pose health risks if
taken in large quantities. It is used widely in kitchen utensils, but if added to
food the nitrogen can fraudulently increase protein levels, translating into
higher prices.
On Tuesday, the KFDA said that two more snacks imported from China were found to
be contaminated with the chemical, bringing the number of imported tainted food
items to six, including coffee creamer and snacks.
Earlier in the day, the watchdog said in a statement that it has completed an
investigation into more than half of the 428 products imported from China and
found no further melamine-containing cases.