Banned preservatives found in kids' clay products from China
A Chinese clay product is seen in this undated photo provided by Korea Consumer Agency. Yonhap
Some kids' clay products imported from China turned out to contain illegal preservatives, the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) said Thursday.
The KCA selected 17 clay products, including nine from China, available through online platforms in Korea and found nine Chinese products that contain excessive levels of boron, chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT), and methylisothiazolinone (MIT), the agency said in a statement.
Boron was detected in three Chinese and one Korean clay products made of synthetic resin materials, while CMIT and MIT were found in six Chinese products, the statement said.
In response to the KCA's testing results, three local trading firms said they will immediately stop importing the products, according to the agency.
High exposure to boron may cause fertility problems, while CMIT and MIT, humidifier disinfectants, are known to be toxic to the respiratory system. (Yonhap)