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[Anchor Lead]A significant number of egg brands that were found to contain harmful insecticides turned out to have been certified as "environmentally friendly." Authorities issuing the certification are facing harsh criticism from the public.[Pkg]This hen farm has been certified as "eco-friendly," but the eggs it produces have been found to contain the hazardous insecticide Fipronil. The cages are covered in dust, while the hens appear to have severe feather loss and lack energy. Eggs produced on another eco-friendly farm have been found to contain more than three times the permissible level of bifenthrin. Normally, a farm must contain zero bifenthrin in order to be certified as eco-friendly. The use of insecticides is banned altogether on farms that want to be certified as eco-friendly. But many farms ignored the rule. Sixty three so-called "eco-friendly" farms have been found to have violated the regulations. The problem was inevitable, as certifications are issued by some 60 private institutions, while the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, a government agency in charge of the matter, only provides post-management. But even post-management is only carried out only once a year, because the agency is understaffed. Farms that are certified as eco-friendly receive around 30 million won annually for up to five years and can sell their products for nearly double the price of regular eggs. However, there are severe loopholes in the way the quality of their products is controlled. As a result, seven out of ten large farms easily acquire the certification. Last year alone, they received 2.3 billion won in government subsidies.[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Jae-hong(Seoul National University) : "The evaluations must be conducted by experts, and public servants in charge of certifications must receive proper training."The government has vowed to revise the regulations.[Soundbite] Kim Kyung-kyu(Min. of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs) : "We will
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