Twelve imported krill oil products are being recalled by South Korean authorities after it was discovered that they contained banned or excessive use of solvents, according to a statement released by the country’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).
Safety tests were conducted on 41 krill oil products total, with 12 identified as “non-conforming” to safety standards, MFDS said. Recalled products include Clean Krill Oil 1200, Blue Ocean Krill Oil, NZ Origin’s Antarctica Krill Oil 500, Neubria krill, UltraMax KrillOil 58, na+uralplus, and Zinofin, among others.
Officials tested for levels of acetone and hexane, which are permissible, as well as banned extraction solvents including ethyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol, and methyl alcohol.
One product, Blue Ocean Krill Oil, was found to have excessive amounts of isopropyl alcohol; six other products were also cited for containing banned or excessive amounts of solvent. Meanwhile, the remaining products were linked by authorities to excessive amounts of antioxidant ethoxyquin, which is commonly used when preserving food.
MFDS said it set out to access whether krill oil products on the market were being properly manufactured in light of recent increases in consumption.
Photo courtesy of THPStock/Shutterstock
