S. Korea finds toxin in Chinese egg powder

By Lee Joon-seung
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean inspectors said Friday that they have detected traces of the melamine toxin in three Chinese powdered egg products used to make sauces and bread.

The National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS) said that 1.3-2.5
parts per million (ppm) of the chemical which can cause severe kidney problems
were found in samples taken from three import shipments totaling 27 tons.
The products were made by Dalian Greensnow Egg Products Development Co., a firm
that was already found earlier in the week to have sent contaminated shipments to
South Korea.
The NVRQ under the farm ministry, said imports from the food company have been
banned as of Wednesday and orders have been issued to recall and destroy all
products made by the powdered egg company.
Melamine, a nitrogen-based industrial chemical that artificially increases
protein content in the case of dairy products, caused an uproar in China last
month after traces of the toxin were discovered in baby milk formula, leading to
the deaths of several infants and the illness of thousands more.
The chemical is linked to kidney failure in humans if taken in large quantities,
and can be fatal for babies and pets.
Local authorities said they are trying to determine how the melamine got into the
processed eggs.
South Korea started checking Chinese egg powders after Japanese authorities
announced that melamine traces were found in some imports.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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