Personal care products company Yuhan-Kimberly on Monday released an official statement questioning the validity of a study conducted last year on the toxicity of sanitary pads being sold in Korea.

“The Food and Drug Safety Ministry has stated that the scientific validity of the study is questionable, which is why we are waiting for the results of the government’s ongoing study instead before making any definitive claims,” a spokesperson for the company said. 


The statement came after news reports claimed Sunday that the company’s products were shown to have the highest levels of carcinogens among the 11 products included in the study, which was commissioned by a women’s rights group here. Yuhan-Kimberly produces two of the top personal care products brands in Korea, White and Good Feel.

According to Yuhan-Kimberly, the news reports “misrepresented” the results of the study. The highest levels of carcinogens were actually found in reusable cotton products, the company said. 

Yuhan-Kimberly said it had run its own tests with a certified institution and obtained results that showed negligible levels of toxins such as benzene and toluene.

“Once the government completes its study and establishes safety standards for chemicals in sanitary pads, we are planning to run our own tests to confirm the government’s results,” the spokesman said.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)