Hitejinro recalls 1.24 million beers after 'mucus-like substance' found in cans

Hitejinro recalled 1.24 million cans of FiLite Fresh beer due to issues with hygiene in its facilities that led to the appearance of a mucus-like substance in the cans. The company will be fined for violating the Food Sanitation Act.

FiLite beer cans are displayed at a store. [NEWS1]

Hitejinro recalled 1.24 million cans of its beer brand, FiLite Fresh, after food safety authorities concluded that poor facility hygiene led to contamination of the products.

The investigation came in response to recent reports of a foreign substance resembling mucus being found in the product.

The Korean liquor company began receiving such complaints from customers in late April. Of the 1.24 million cans affected, 1.18 million cans are already recalled, a company official said on condition of anonymity, adding that the foreign substance is not hazardous to health.

Officials from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety recently visited a Hitejinro plant in Hongcheon, 98 kilometers (61 miles) northeast of Seoul, and found that the company had used only detergents, due to a lack of sterilizers, to clean the beer injector on March 13, March 25, April 3 and April 17.

Hitejinro is required to use both detergents and sterilizers in the cleaning process.

As a result, the injector was contaminated with pediococcus damnosus, which combined with carbohydrates and protein in the FiLite lager beer products to generate a mucus-like substance, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry will issue a correction order and fine Hitejinro for violating Food Sanitation Act, the statement said.

FiLite products are only sold in Korea.

BY PARK EUN-JEE, YONHAP [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]