Maeil Dairies' sterilized milk 200ml. (Photo = Food Safety Korea)

 

[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Jisun] The contamination of cleaning solution in certain 200ml Maeil Original Sterilized Milk products was found to have occurred due to a worker's mistake, according to an investigation by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). As a result, Maeil Dairies will face a one-month business suspension and the disposal of affected products in accordance with relevant laws.

On the 17th, the MFDS announced that they had conducted an on-site investigation at Maeil Dairies' Gwangju plant, alongside product collection, testing, and an unscheduled Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) evaluation.

According to the MFDS, a comprehensive review of product production records from July 1 to the present revealed that at 3:38 a.m. on September 19, a sterilizer valve opened for approximately one second, allowing cleaning solution (2.8% sodium hydroxide) to mix into the product filling line.

The MFDS explained that up to 50 milk products could have been affected per second.

While sterilizers are usually separated from the filling line, it is suspected that a worker error during internal cleaning of the sterilizer caused the valve connected to the filling line to open, resulting in cleaning solution contamination.

 

 

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