Paper Straws Detected Exceeding 'Total Emission Volume' Limits
Bacteria exceeding about 37 times the domestic standard were detected in disposable cotton swabs sold on Chinese e-commerce platforms.
On the 19th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the results of safety inspections conducted on a total of 95 items, including disposable cups, disposable straws, napkins, and disposable cotton swabs purchased from Chinese direct purchase platforms such as Temu and Shein.
Among them, as a result of testing 10 disposable cotton swab products sold on Temu, bacteria counts in 6 products exceeded the domestic standard (300 CFU/g) by up to 36.7 times, with a maximum of 11,000 CFU/g detected.
All six cotton swabs exceeding the standard had wooden shafts with cotton tips attached, with bacteria counts ranging from a minimum of 440 CFU/g to a maximum of 11,000 CFU/g, exceeding the standard by 1.5 to 36.7 times.
The bacteria count test measures the amount of bacteria present on the cotton swabs to evaluate the hygiene status of the products. Using contaminated cotton swabs on the body can cause various skin and eye diseases such as folliculitis and contact dermatitis.
In three disposable paper straw products sold on Shein, the total elution amount (4% acetic acid) was detected at 1,300 mg/L, exceeding the domestic standard (30 mg/L) by up to 43.3 times. The total elution amount refers to the total amount of polypropylene that can be released when food containers or sanitary products are dissolved.
All three straws exceeding the standard were paper-based products coated with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or acrylic resin. The total elution amount detected ranged from a minimum of 196 mg/L to a maximum of 1,300 mg/L. Previously, in February last year, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety conducted an inspection for the formal import of similar products and recalled all items due to exceeding the total elution amount standard.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government explained that unlike domestic products, which are properly managed through compliance with labeling standards, frequent inspections, and sample testing, overseas direct purchase products may lack product information and be vulnerable to hygiene management during storage and distribution. Accordingly, products exceeding domestic standards will be requested to stop sales by related agencies such as the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and overseas online platform companies, and guidance will be provided to multi-use establishments.
Kim Tae-hee, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Citizen Health Bureau, said, "Since sanitary products come into direct or indirect contact with the body, it is important to carefully check product information," adding, "Seoul will continue to do its best to prevent consumer damage through ongoing safety inspections."
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