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04-06-2009 18:47
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/04/117_42695.html
Recall Order Issued for 5 Cosmetic Products

By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

The nation's food agency has banned the sale of cosmetics maker Locean's five products for containing class-A carcinogen asbestos.

Among the banned items are Finish Face Powder; Double Shading Compact in two shades; Perfection Make up Base and Perfection Face Color. The products contained contaminated talcum powder, the Korea Food and Drug Administration said Monday.

It banned sales and distribution of the products and issued an order to recall the problematic brands.

Asbestos was not found in food and other product categories, the agency said, after looking into more than 300 items.

It found that eight firms were detected for supplying talc contaminated with asbestos. It said a further investigation is under way to check products containing the harmful substance.

KFDA said that asbestos was added to cosmetics during manufacturing. Cheap Chinese talc was imported through companies, including Duksan.

Talc is a mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate and is widely used in powders to drug capsules, gum, balloons and other products.

In the EU and the United States, manufacturers have been regulated to refine talc thoroughly to remove all asbestos since 2005 and 2006 respectively.

The government had said asbestos affects human health through the lungs, but had not been monitoring the negative effects of cosmetic powder on skin.

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