South Korean dairy giant Maeil Dairies apologizes for product contaminated with cleaning solution

Its CEO, Kim Seon-hee, said in an announcement on the company website that a valve operation error at its Gwangju manufacturing plant on Sept. 19 briefly caused cleaning solution to mix with its 200-milliliter (6.76-ounce) sterilized milk product, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The incident impacted approximately 50 units delivered to a single client, the firm said.

The issue was discovered when some employees at a major corporate research center reported experiencing symptoms like stomach pain and discoloration after consuming Maeil’s sterilized milk product from the company cafeteria last Thursday.

Maeil voluntarily recalled over 10,000 units of the product the following day, as reported by The Chosun Daily.

The recall affected 200-milliliter cartons of Maeil Milk Original produced at the Gwangju plant and having an expiration date of Feb. 16, 2025.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it, along with local authorities, was conducting an on-site investigation to identify the cause of the incident and will take appropriate actions once the results are in.