[photo 3 'Ritz Sandwich Crackers']                                         [photo 4 `Misarang Coconut'  ]

□ Banned products
 

o The Korea Food and Drug Administration put a temporary sales ban on the 366 products (as of September 29, 2008, 10 PM).  The ban will remain effective while the authorities complete the testing for the products.  

- Powdered milk based products: 102 items

- Milk based products: 191 products

- Casein, lactose containing products: 73 products

o Please refer to the home page of the Korea Food and Drug Administration for further details.

□ Harmfulness of Melamine

o Melamine is an industrial chemical used to produce fertilizer or resin materials.  Melamine could pose a health risk such as kidney stones and renal failure, if consumed in large doses.  

□ Consumer precautionary measures

o Report to the Korea Food and Drug Administration or call the hotline at 1399 when purchasing or keeping melamine-tainted snacks.

o Consumers are recommended not to buy banned products until the test results are found to be safe.

o Children should be careful not to eat the cookiexxs and sweets nearby schools if the snacks are lack of product details such as producer, importer, importing country, materials and origin of product etc.

o It is advised of consumers not to heat the melamine resin made food containers at high temperature (melted at over 340℃) or not to use them with a microwave oven.