SEOUL - South Korea has detected the industrial chemical melamine in fish feed manufactured from squid caught domestically and in China, officials said Friday.

Investigators found traces in feed made by a local company, said the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Melamine, used in the manufacture of plastic, can make products appear as if they are packed with protein. It can be lethal when consumed in large amounts.

China has been rocked by the discovery of the chemical in baby formula and other dairy products. Four babies have died from kidney failure and more than 6,000 have fallen ill from drinking contaminated milk formula.

South Korea's food ministry said a local company, which it did not name, produced 612 tons of feed over three months from early April. It supplied 586 tons to fish farms while the rest has been recalled or dumped.

"The company had used powdered parts of squid caught here or imported from China. A probe has been launched to determine which parts were contaminated with melamine," a ministry spokesman told AFP.

He said 16 fish farms which purchased the feed had sold 400 tons of catfish to restaurants and dealers.

- AFP/ir