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SEOUL - Multinationals Mars and Nestle have been told to pull three products from South Korean shelves over the China milk scandal which has sickened thousands of babies, the nation's food watchdog said Saturday.
The Korea Food and Drug Administration said it detected the industrial chemical melamine in snacks made in China by the multinationals, bringing to 10 the number of goods recalled here since the scandal broke last month.
Melamine had been found in M&M's milk chocolate snack and Snickers peanut Fun Size, both produced by Mars, and Kit Kat chocolate bars imported from Nestle Tianjin in China, the administration said.
Mars was recalling its two products, but said the melamine levels detected were too small to pose a health risk, and called for a standard reporting limit of the chemical across Asia.
"Mars is recalling these products because it is legally obligated to do so following the announcement by the Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA)," Mars said in a statement.
"Minute traces of melamine are commonly found throughout the global food chain and melamine levels below 2.5 ppm are not deemed to indicate adulteration with melamine," it said.
"Mars calls for the adoption by food safety regulators across Asia of a harmonised reporting limit for melamine in line with the internationally accepted standards which will safeguard consumer health and provide reasonable guidance to the food industry."
KFDA said a melamine level of 2.38 parts per million (ppm) had been found in the M&Ms and 1.78ppm in Snickers peanut Funsize.There was no immediate comment from Nestle Korea.
A KFDA official said South Korea does not allow any level of melamine in food. "No melamine in food is our standard," he told AFP.
The South Korean agency said it has been inspecting 428 brands of imported food in the wake of the scandal that broke last month.
It has completed checks on 288 items and found 10 contaminated with melamine.
South Korea began the inspection after China said melamine, which is normally used to make plastics, was found in infant milk formula, sickening nearly 53,000 children and killing four.
In one of China's worst ever product recall scandals, countries from Asia to Europe have decided to suspend imports of Chinese milk products or to withdraw them from their market as the number of products involved grows.
South Korea has banned the import of all products containing Chinese powdered milk. - AFP/vm
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