Videos Uploaded on Online Communities
'Not Cleaning Water but Bleach, Drinking It Causes Bloody Vomiting' Rumors Too
Concerns among consumers are growing as a video showing an unidentified red liquid coming out of a milk carton spreads online, amid a voluntary recall of some sterilized milk products by Maeil Dairies due to the contamination of cleaning water in the equipment.
According to the related industry on the 14th, Maeil Dairies announced that it confirmed an off-odor caused by the contamination of cleaning water in some of its Original Maeil Milk sterilized products the day before and voluntarily initiated a recall. The recall target is the 'Maeil Milk Original (sterilized) 200㎖' product produced at Maeil Dairies' Gwangju factory, with an expiration date marked as February 16, 2025. The Maeil Milk Original products sold refrigerated are not subject to the recall.
A video posted on an online community. Red liquid is coming out of a Maeil Dairy sterilized milk pack. Social networking service (SNS)
Maeil Dairies stated that according to its internal investigation, a small amount of cleaning water was mixed into some products due to an error during the cleaning process while inspecting manufacturing equipment. "Although it was confirmed to meet safety standards before product shipment, some products showed quality abnormalities, leading to a proactive voluntary recall decision," the company said. It added, "We have thoroughly monitored the production process and completed immediate measures to prevent recurrence of the issue," and "We confirmed that other products produced on the same line showed no abnormalities."
However, the controversy is spreading as posts explaining the background of the issue and videos showing red liquid flowing out of milk cartons have been uploaded on online communities.
It has not been confirmed whether these videos are related to the current incident. Meanwhile, an employee of a major corporation claiming to have consumed Maeil Milk posted a review with photos on the anonymous workplace community 'Blind.' He said, "(I am) the person who took a sip of the milk," adding, "My throat hurt so much that I had to get medicine. I took a video, but videos cannot be uploaded on Blind, so I captured a photo," attaching a picture showing a straw inserted into the milk carton stained red.
Maeil Dairies stated that the liquid in the milk carton was cleaning water, but some netizens claim it is not simple cleaning water but highly toxic bleach. Some netizens have posted unverified rumors at the level of urban legends, such as "A consumer who drank the milk vomited blood and collapsed," and "It is bleach water, and just touching it with your mouth peels off the inside of your mouth."
Confusion is further intensified as netizens who verified their workplace as 'Maeil Dairies' on Blind express differing opinions. One Blind user who identified himself as an employee of Maeil Dairies' Gwangju factory responded to a comment saying, "Discard all products from the same process or Gwangju factory," by explaining, "It is true that it is the same process, but not all products from the same process could have cleaning water mixed in; it seems a worker mistakenly pressed the wrong valve." He described the liquid as "caustic soda used by all food factories, not diluted bleach."
Regarding the incident, Maeil Dairies apologized, saying, "We are sorry for causing concern to our customers," and pledged, "We will further strengthen consumer safety and quality control."
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has ordered the recall and sales suspension of Maeil Dairies Original products with a manufacturing date of September 19 and an expiration date of February 16, 2025.
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