April 29, 2011

South Korean dairy firm gets milk from cows fed with banned feed

South Korea's Maeil Dairies Co. was found to have produced milk from cows that were given feed tainted with a banned substance, a farm ministry official said Thursday (Apr 28).

The official said Maeil Dairies Co. used imported Australian feed that contained formalin, despite official recommendations to discontinue such practices late last year.

Formalin is a liquid form of formaldehyde gas, and was widely used in the past as a disinfectant, pesticide, and for biological specimen preservation. Because of health concerns, use of the material has decreased over the years.

"Because formalin is not covered as being an animal drug, the ministry cannot force a company to stop using the tainted feed," the official said. "Seoul does not permit formalin to be used in feed products made in the country."

The milk produced by cows was used to make 10 tonnes of "Absolute W" from last October. The company has publicised that it's good for babies and young children, he added.

Maeil Dairies said that the US Food and Drug Administration had checked the feed and said it does not affect the milk produced.

There are set international rules limiting formalin levels in milk, the company said, claiming that its milk product did not contain formalin exceeding permissible levels.

The company, however, said that it has started to discontinue using the Australian feed as of last week to reflect consumer concerns.