AmorePacific has been ordered to stage a recall of some 11 different toothpastes after the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety found them to contain ‘a very small amount’ of chloro-methylisothiazolinone (CMIT) and methylisothiazolinone (MIT).

“We apologize for using irrelevant materials although we must thoroughly manage all ingredietns to offer safe products to consumers,” said the K-beauty behemoth in a statement. “We decided to recall the products as soon as recognizing the fact and will make best efforts to resolve the problem.”

The products contain 0.0022 – 0.0044 ppm of CMIT/MIT, according to the Ministry report, well below maximum permitted levels on the European market. However, the Korean market is particularly sensitive to CMIT and MIT after chemical was connected to the humidifier sterilizer scandal.

The Korean regulator is currently investigating 10 further toothpaste and mouthwash manufacturers believed to use CMIT and MIT in their products.