Tainted Chinese snacks consumed in S. Korea: authorities

SEOUL, Dec. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Koreans consumed nearly 920 tons of China-made
snacks this year contaminated with the toxin melamine that is known to cause
kidney failure when digested in large quantities, health authorities said Friday.
According to the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA), South Korea sold
1,356 tons of melamine-tainted snacks produced in China this year, of which 919
tons are presumed to have been consumed. The rest was taken off store shelves
after a worldwide food scare linked to the toxin erupted.
Melamine, a nitrogen-based industrial chemical that artificially increases
protein content in dairy products, caused an uproar in China earlier in the year
after traces of the chemical were discovered in baby milk formula, snacks, bread
and other food items.
The case led to the deaths of several infants and the illness of thousands more
in China. No victims have been reported in South Korea.
In a bid to better protect public health, the KFDA recently set a new standard
that limits the amount of melamine levels in all food products.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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