More than 30 tons of banana milk imported from South Korea contained material that could lead to diarrhea, said quality watchdogs in Qingdao in east China’s Shandong Province.

Other substandard products were dried mango from Thailand which contained excess sulfur dioxide — eight times of the limit set by China — and some honey products from New Zealand which had syrup added, the Qingdao Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau said.

These products had been returned or destroyed, the bureau said. It did not name the brand of banana milk, a drink gaining in popularity in China in recent years and readily available at convenience stores.

Experts said technical problems during the production process may have been responsible for the problem with fat content in the drink not fully dissolved.

They said such pieces could not be digested and posed a potential hazard of diarrhea.

The batch of milk totalled 34.42 tons, and was valued at US$49,000, the bureau said. It had since been destroyed.

Some 250 boxes of dried mango from Thailand was sent back. Sulfur dioxide can be used as a preservative for dried fruits to maintain the colorful appearance of the fruit and prevent rotting, but too much can cause dizziness, vomiting and diarrhea, officials said.

More than 400 boxes of imported honey from New Zealand were returned because they contained two kinds of syrup. Adding syrup affects the quality of honey and sometimes honey products contain just syrup and no honey, the bureau said.

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