Seoul - South Korean officials said on Tuesday they have found harmful bacteria in a French baby formula product and vowed to step up tests on future shipments.
Officials of the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service said they detected a bacterial strain called enterobacter sakazaki in a shipment of 135 kilograms of canned organic formula produced by France's Vitagermine and imported last month.
E. sakazaki bacteria can cause meningitis and enteritis.
Since December 2007 eight shipments of the product weighing a total of 1 492 kilograms have been imported and six of these, totalling 1 222 kilograms, reached the market.
After last month's shipment failed tests, inspectors are examining the latest 135-kilogram delivery that arrived on February 6, the quarantine service said.
It was also checking formula previously cleared for distribution.
"Most of the six shipments of 1 222 kilograms have been distributed but we've managed to secure two cans left undistributed," an official told AFP.
He said these would be given more thorough tests and inspections of future shipments would be tightened. - AFP