S. Korea finds toxin in Chinese egg powder

(ATTN: UPDATES with new information in paras 3; ADDS results of bird death from para
10)
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 egg powders were imported in January, July and September with 15.6 tons
already having been used in the making of food. The remaining 11.4 tons are held
by importers.
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.
The farm ministry, meanwhile, said it checked the 94 dead wild birds found around
the Han River, but found no evidence to suggest they died from bird flu.
It said the seven different types of birds found dead were poisoned by toxins
probably set by poachers. The discovery of large number of dead birds raised
concerns of another avian flu influenza outbreak. The country was hit three times
with bird flu outbreaks with the latest causing considerable monetary damage
early this year.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)