Drug safety agency under fire over belated inspection



By Kim Bo-eun







The drug safety authorities are belatedly launching an inspection of sanitary pads, after a public uproar erupted over side effects of a domestic manufacturer's product.



The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it would look into 896 types of pads of 56 manufacturers, including imported products, to check whether they contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs).



It will scrutinize whether the products contain 10 types of VOCs which are known to be harmful including benzene and stylene, and complete the inspection by the end of next month.



The criterion is based on findings from a civic group earlier this year. The Korean Women's Environmental Network (KWEN) in March said 22 harmful substances were found in 10 types of pads of 22 domestic manufacturers.



However, drug safety authorities did not take action until the controversy snowballed over domestic pad manufacturer Kleannara's Lilian products. This comes shortly after the ministry was slammed for the pesticide-tainted egg scare.



Over the past year, female consumers had shared on online communities health problems they encountered after using Lilian pads. Many said their menstrual cycles changed and their menstrual flow decreased. Some said they experienced greater menstrual pain.



Kleannara initially countered that its products were safe, saying it requested a safety inspection from the Korea Consumer Agency and it would take measures according to results of the inspection.



However, amid the uproar from consumers the company said it would provide refunds for Lilian products starting Monday. Major retailers have stopped selling the products and Kleannara has halted production.



Law firm Bubjungwon is preparing for a collective suit against the manufacturer. In the week since it opened an online community on portal site Naver, it has attracted over 26,000 members. The law firm said around 4,000 consumers paid for legal expenses to take part in the suit as of Friday.



The ministry is conducting a separate annual inspection of sanitary pad products, including Lilian pads.



However, the annual inspection has been rendered useless, as it only covers tests of a limited number of toxic components, which Lilian pads also passed.



KWEN says the government needs to introduce a more detailed test.



"Health authorities must establish a more detailed safety standard for sanitary pads and come up with a measure to protect women's health," the group said in a press conference, Thursday.



Earlier, a bill requiring pad manufacturers to list all components on its packaging was proposed in June.



Under the status quo, the products only list a few main components.



Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea last week vowed to have the bill passed.



The ministry said it will also inspect whether children's and adult diaper products contain VOCs.



