By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Powdered baby milk products from big-name companies have been found to be contaminated with colitis bacteria. The bacteria were found in two products from Maeil Dairy Industry, two products from Pasteur Milk and one from Abbott, according to the National Veterinary Research & Quarantine Service (NVRQS) Sunday. Names of the products were not available.
Colitis bacteria in powdered milk are not harmful to human, but they are unsanitary and the government agency ordered the companies to recall their products.
Whenever the bacteria were found in their products, dairy firms have argued that they occur due to inadequate distribution or storage, not in the manufacturing process.
After checking 99 products from December, last year, the agency found that five were contaminated.
Korea currently doesn't allow colitis bacteria in powdered milk at all, while the U.S. and Australia permit low levels. Bacteria such as escherichia coli O157 and salmonella are separately classified and are not permitted, as they are harmful to human health.
NVRQS also requested regional governments to sanction the powdered milk companies. ``It has been about three years since we found colitis bacteria in powdered milk. Even though not necessarily dangerous, they mean sanitary conditions at the companies are poor,'' an NVRQS official said.