Shandong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau convened press conference to notify its detection results for epidemic diseases and imported goods of August 2015 in Shangdong port on 10 September. Shandong Qingdao Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau found stainless steel chopsticks imported from South Korea were noncompliant due to excessive migration of nickel, which attracted widely concern.

It is known that there are 1,000 pairs of such stainless steel chopsticks imported from South Korea valued at USD 618.29. According to lab, the migration of nickel is 4.7mg/dm2, far more than 0.1mg/dm2 as required by national standards. So competent bureau returned those products.

Nickel is a common heavy metal with sensitization easily to cause allergies when contact with skin. It is carcinogenic and may cause birth defects. Excessive ingestion of nickel will materially injure human health, leading to neurasthenia, system dysfunction and lower reproduction.

In addition, the press conference also disclosed 10 batches of unqualified imported food and cosmetics of August 2015, involving drinks and seaweeds, mainly from Russia and South Korea, etc. Such failure mainly results from excessive microorganism and those products are returned or destroyed according to law. Besides, Shandong Authority also detected unqualified imported industrial goods valued at USD 1.107 billion and imposed return, destroy or rectification and other measures.