South Korea bans buffalo mozzarella due to dioxin

SEOUL, March 24 (Reuters) - South Korea has banned the import of Italy's best mozzarella after reports some cheese was made with milk contaminated with cancer-causing dioxin, an official said on Monday.

South Korea halted the entry of buffalo mozzarella at the weekend and will conduct its own tests to see if there is dioxin contamination, an official with the agriculture ministry said.

"Once we identify the maker of the contaminated product and the period in which it was produced, we can then narrow the ban," the official said.

South Korea imports about 10 tonnes of the product a year, the ministry said.

Police near Naples last week said they were investigating whether feed given to buffalo herds, which produce the best milk for mozzarella, was tainted, possibly by gangsters involved in illegal waste disposal.

The Italian farmers' association, Coldiretti, said the contamination only affected a tiny part of mozzarella producers.

The cheese has been making inroads in Asia, where there is a growing market for gourmet Italian food in places such as Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei.

Best known for its use melted on pizza, in Italy, "buffala", which costs at least twice as much as mozzarella made with cows' milk, is often eaten on its own or in a salad with fresh tomatoes and basil. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz and Lee Jiyeon; Editing by Alex Richardson)