Biscuit ingredient contains high concentration of melamine

Written by Writer on Monday, October 20th, 2008

Biscuit ingredient contains high concentration of melamine

SEOUL, Oct. 20 (Yonhap) — An ingredient used to make biscuits has been found to contain high concentrations of an industrial chemical that can cause kidney problems in humans, South Korea’s health agency said Monday.

The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) said it found 603 parts per million of melamine in one of eight ammonium bicarbonate products imported from China.

It said a local company imported 20 tons of the raising agent used to to make many bread products, with half a ton sold to the country’s largest biscuit maker.

“The raising agent was used to make eight types of biscuits totaling 40 tons,” said a KFDA spokesperson.

He added that a nationwide recall order has been issued for the products that are to be collected and destroyed to prevent any health risks to consumers.

Besides the 0.5 tons sold, the importer had 19.5 tons remaining, which has been destroyed.

The agency under the health ministry also said that it will conduct inspections on all ammonium bicarbonate in the market and check all products that have used the product in the past.

The probe took place after Malaysia halted imports after finding that the ingredient was contaminated with the chemical.

The industrial chemical that caused an uproar in China last month can be harmful to humans if consumed in large quantities. It can be fatal to babies and pets since they usually consume only one type of food.

yonngong@yna.co.kr