12 Krill Oil Products Found Using Non-compliant Substances or Exceeding Standard Limits

Newbria krill oil detected with 82.4 mg/kg of ethyl acetate, which should not be used in oil extraction. It is one of the 12 products identified in the inspection by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Some krill oil products sold on home shopping channels and online shopping malls were found to contain substances unsuitable for consumption exceeding the standard limits.

On the 9th, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that after collecting and testing 41 krill oil products on the market, 12 products were found to contain the antioxidant ethoxyquin and extraction solvents (hexane, ethyl acetate, etc.) exceeding the standards. Krill oil has recently gained popularity as it is known to be beneficial for vascular diseases, and the Ministry collected and tested products distributed on the market to verify whether they were properly manufactured or imported.

Among the non-compliant products, 5 exceeded the ethoxyquin standard of 0.2 mg/kg. The detected amounts ranged from 0.5 mg/kg to as high as 2.5 mg/kg, which is more than 12 times the standard. This substance is approved for use as an antioxidant in aquaculture feed. Considering the amount that can transfer from feed, residue limits have been set for crustaceans and fish in food.

Seven products exceeded the standard for extraction solvents or used substances that should not be used. Hexane and acetone are permitted, but 2 products exceeded the standard limit of 5 mg/kg. The other 5 products used prohibited substances such as ethyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol, and methyl alcohol.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety decided to recall and dispose of all non-compliant products and impose administrative measures or request investigations on companies that manufactured, imported, or distributed them. To ensure the safety of krill oil products, the Ministry will strengthen safety management at the import customs clearance stage by inspecting for ethoxyquin and extraction solvents each time imports occur. At the distribution stage, inspection orders will be issued to overseas manufacturers of non-compliant products and finished products from overseas manufacturers not included in this inspection, and sampling inspections will also be conducted on imported krill oil raw materials.

The Ministry emphasized, "Krill oil is a general food product, not a health functional food," and urged consumers not to be misled by false or exaggerated advertisements claiming medical or scientific evidence for disease prevention or treatment effects.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.