Baby formulas of LG, Ildong barred from China

By Park Si-soo

The Chinese government has refused to allow imports of two Korean infant formula makers’ products under new food safety regulations implemented early this month.

Three Korean makers that have exported their products to the country for years won approval, while LG Household & Health Care and Ildong Foodis failed to meet requirements, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Wednesday.

The two companies are seeking a reexamination of their products.

LG and Ildong claimed the rejection has nothing to do with quality. They said the authorities there were checking their products more stringently because, unlike the other three, they are newcomers to the Chinese market.

“China employed new food safety regulations from May 1, under which overseas makers of baby formula are required to win government approval,” said a food ministry official familiar with the case. “Under the rule, Chinese inspectors visit companies to directly check product quality and manufacturing systems.”

On top of these, according to The Financial Times, the new rules require dairy products produced overseas to be registered with a quality watchdog, or be barred from entry at China’s ports. It also requires all formula sold in China to carry Chinese-language labeling affixed at the source.

Nothing to do with quality

The official said China is still grappling with memories of a 2008 scandal in which at least six infants died and 300,000 fell sick after drinking local baby formula tainted with melamine, a byproduct of coal.

Following the scandal, the demand for imported formula skyrocketed. Currently foreign infant formula brands account for nearly half the market, up from about 30 percent before the scandal, according to the newspaper.

“The scandal inspired China to toughen its food safety rules, including one applied to foreign formula makers,” the official said.

Lee In-ick, a spokesman for LG Household & Health Care, noted that the firm’s failure to win approval has nothing to do with quality.

“Unlike conventional forms of baby formula that are powders, our product is a liquid. This is an unprecedented type of baby formula. Because of this, I think, the Chinese authorities are examining our products longer and more thoroughly before issuing an approval,” he said. “Our products have been available on the domestic market since 2012, which means their quality has already been recognized.”

Shin Yoon-jung, a spokeswoman for Ildong Foodis, said China’s denial was caused by an administrative shortfall, not quality.

“We’ve sold baby formula in Korea for more than 10 years. Korea’s food safety regulations are much tougher than those in China,” she said. “We make products through original equipment manufacturing arrangements at plants in Australia and New Zealand. China seems to be unhappy with this kind of manufacturing because when a food problem happens it’s unclear who ㅡ either Ildong or the manufacturers ㅡ will take full responsibility.” Shin said the company is in talks with the Chinese authorities to settle the issue.