Retailers are uncertain about selling P&G diapers
Procter & Gamble (P&G) Pampers baby dry diapers may not return to the shelves of Korea’s leading discount chains, although the government research has proved the safety of the products, according to the industry officials, Friday.
The nation’s largest discount chains have remained cautious about selling the multinational manufacturer’s diapers which were pulled from store shelves last month amid allegations of containing dioxin and pesticide, both of which are classified as deadly poisons in most countries.
A French magazine 60 Million Consumers (60 Millions de Consommateurs) first raised the issue in January, and the report has gone viral among Korean mothers via online communities. The government began a safety probe on the products, as a growing number of consumers have demanded refunds despite the company’s continuous denial.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced Monday that no dioxin or pesticides were detected from P&G’s four diaper products — Pampers baby dry, Swaddlers Sensitive, Cruisers and Easy Ups — which were randomly bought from stores in Korea.
“The toxic chemicals detected by the French magazine may have come from the surrounding environment, rather than artificially used during the manufacturing process,” the government noted in a statement.
After the announcement, P&G Korea expressed their gratitude to consumers who were waiting for the results on faith. The Korean unit requested the discount chains to sell Pampers baby dry again, according to industry sources.
However, Home plus and Lotte Mart said that they will wait and see how consumers react to the products.
Still, consumers are skeptical about the results, noting the poor measures taken by the government during the toxic humidifier sterilizer scandal. Some people criticized the government for not inspecting the diapers imported from Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Germany and Poland.
“We have yet to decide regarding whether to sell the diapers again,” a Lotte Mart spokesman said. “Actually, the diapers did not affect our sales, as only one type of the brand was sold at our outlets.”
E-mart, on the other hand, began to sell Pampers baby dry again at their online mall. The country’s largest discount chain said that it had only sold diapers made in the United States and Vietnam, both of which were inspected by the government.
“Even before the controversy, we did not sell Pampers baby dry at our offline outlets,” an E-mart spokesman said. “We’ve only sold the other two types — Cruisers and Easy Ups — at stores.”