Updated Oct.9,2005 19:15 KST

Fungus Find Prompts Tighter Checks of U.S. Oranges
Korea will step up quarantine inspections of U.S. oranges from November
after oranges imported from there were found to be contaminated by a
fungus, the state-run National Plant Quarantine Service said Sunday.

The agency under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said twice or
three times the current number of sample fruits will be checked. The
fungus only lives on oranges and is not harmful to humans, but the
authority fears it could contaminate local citrus fruit.

"We found the fungus in 35 out of 3,048 cases we checked last year,
and in 54 out of 5,802 this year, so we have strengthened our
inspection measures to ensure safety," the agency said.

(englishnews@chosun.com )

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