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Updated Oct.11,2005 19:29 KST

Chinese Kimchi Safe for Consumption
Korea's food safety watchdog says Kimchi imported from China proved to
be safe for consumption. The Korean Food and Drug Administration says
contrary to recent speculation, the lead content in imported Kimchi was
within the internationally permitted limit. The KFDA's analysis of 58
kinds of the spicy Korean side dish shows that Chinese brands have an
average lead content of 0.05 parts per million, lower than the
international standard of 0.1 ppm.

The Administration embarked on the analysis after an opposition
lawmaker claimed Kimchi imported from China contained high levels of
lead, posing a serious health threat. Imports of Chinese-made Kimchi
have surged in recent years, with half of all Korean restaurants in
Seoul serving the cheaper imports.

Arirang News