[Courtesy of Klean Nara]
Public eyes remain fixated on eggs tainted with toxic insecticides, but a fresh health scare has hit South Korean women who are concerned about possible contamination or toxic material in their monthly necessity.
Last week, a food safety agency discovered eggs contaminated with banned substances such as fipronil, or other authorized insecticides exceeding permissible levels, sparking a widespread health scare. Government officials have retrieved and destroyed millions of eggs produced by 52 farms.
This week, a great deal of anger was directed at Klean Nara, a popular producer of hygienic products such as toilet paper, facial tissue and others including Lilian sanitary napkins (pads) favored by young women and school girls because of reasonable prices.
Some consumers have complained about Lilian's negative effects caused by volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are organic chemicals that easily become vapors or gases.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has not taken any steps in its regular investigation of consumer goods in question, despite a study by civilian experts that Lilian products contained unusually high VOC contents, especially at their adhesive tapes.
Embarrassed by mounting resentment among women, the ministry launched a safety inspection of sanitary pads after supermarkets and other retail outlets removed Lilian products from their shelves. Activist groups argued that there has been a loophole in safety checks. Klean Nara agreed to offer a refund from August 28 but insisted its products showed no problems in safety checks.
"The safety of sanitary napkins is directly related to women's health," Lee Jeong-mi, the female leader of the progressive Justice Party, said in a statement, calling for a quick government inspection of all sanitary pads on the market to see if they contain any harmful substances.
The Korean Women's Environmental Network, an eco-feminist group, said in an online survey of 3,009 Lilian users this week that a majority of women reported irregular menstrual cycles, reduced bleeding, or increased cramps.
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
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