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China¡¯s General Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine has requested information on phthalates in Korean-manufactured deodorants, in apparent preparation for repaying Korea in like currency for a series of health warnings on imports from China. AQSIQ asked for the information on Oct. 14 and was given it four days later, the Korea Food and Drug Administration said. The KDFA warned earlier that imports of Chinese freshwater fish contained the carcinogenic dye malachite green while lawmakers said Chinese-made kimchi contained unusually high concentrations of lead. Since then the KDFA has taken several Chinese kimchi brands out of circulation after they were found contaminated with parasites.
China reportedly cited a warning last August from a Korean civic group, the Women and Environment Network, that three kinds of phthalate including dibutyl phthalate (DBP) were found in six deodorant brands. Phthalates, used as a solvent in cosmetics, can according to some studies mimic the female growth hormone estrogen when absorbed into the body and have also been linked to allergies.
The belated request is seen as laying the groundwork for a tightening of import restrictions on Korean cosmetic products. After receiving the KFDA report on parasite eggs in Chinese-made Kimchi last Thursday, Chinese officials asked Korea to keep the story under wraps until it conducted its own investigation and, when Korea refused, warned it could take action against Korean cosmetics.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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