South Korea's food standards agency has allayed public concerns over kimchi manufactured in China, despite a safety scare over levels of lead found in imports of the popular side-dish that accompanies meals in Korea.
Last month a South Korean lawmaker, quoting a study by the Seoul Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, suggested some brands of Chinese-made kimchi contained an average of 0.302 part per million of lead, five times that found in domestic products.
However, after carrying out its own tests, Korea's Food and Drug Administration has concluded that the Chinese-produced spicy pickled cabbage is safe to eat.
The administration tested 28 domestic and 30 Chinese-made kimchi samples and found seven imported and 14 Korean-made brands contained less than 0.05 part per million of lead.
The remainder did not contain any traces of the substance.
However, the Korean lawmaker, Ko Kyung-hwa, who originally questioned the safety of Chinese-made kimchi, expressed scepticism about the conclusions of the administration.