The South Korean food safety authority said on Tuesday that it regarded Chinese beer to be safe to drink, as it found its formaldehyde content to be within WHO standards.

The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) said in a news release that the average formaldehyde content of 13 Chinese and four German brands was 0.132 parts per million, compared to 0.128 parts per million for 19 brands of South Korean beer.

The KFDA said both imported and domestically produced beer met the WHO's recommendation of under 0.9 mg formaldehyde per liter, adding that traces of the substance may result from the natural brewing process.

It also said that in the future, imported beer with a formaldehyde content of less than 0.9 mg per liter will be allowed into the country without the need for further documentation, while that with levels between 0.9 and 2.0 mg will require manufacturers to submit documents testifying that the formaldehyde was not added as part of the manufacturing process.

Beer that contains formaldehyde higher than 2.0 mg per liter will be subject to an additional review process, the KFDA said.

It decided to investigate imported Chinese beer on July 11 after Chinese media reported that it contained high levels of formaldehyde. At the time the KFDA said there were no agreed safe levels for the chemical in the country, since its use in food is banned.

(Xinhua News Agency July 27, 2005)