Using Substandard Ingredients Leads to 'Food Master' Expulsion... Standards Strengthened

Amendment to the Food Industry Promotion Act Passed by the National Assembly
Basis Established for Revoking Master Artisan Status Amid Defective Kimchi Incident

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] In the future, if a person designated as a food master violates the Food Sanitation Act by using substandard ingredients, the government will be able to revoke their master qualification. This law was created to prevent the recurrence of the "Defective Kimchi" incident, which caused controversy in February when kimchi was made and sold using expired ingredients.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the political circles on the 31st, the National Assembly held a plenary session on the 29th and passed the amendment to the Food Industry Promotion Act, which was introduced by Representative Joo Cheol-hyun of the Democratic Party of Korea. The bill mainly states that if a food master is convicted of a fine or higher penalty for violating the Food Sanitation Act, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs can cancel the master designation.

This bill was enacted due to the defective kimchi incident involving Hanseong Food. At that time, Kim Soon-ja, CEO of Hanseong Food, held the titles of Food Master No. 29, Kimchi Master No. 1, and Food Master designated by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, but she returned all these titles as the controversy grew. Food masters designated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs must have worked in one food field for more than 20 years and preserve traditional methods, among other qualifications. A total of 81 people have been granted master qualifications in Korea. Although becoming a master does not provide direct financial support, it offers opportunities to enhance brand value through participation in government-promoted exhibitions. However, there has been no legal basis to revoke the qualification if a food master violates the Food Sanitation Act. Article 14 of the Food Industry Promotion Act specifies that qualifications can be revoked only if the master was designated by fraudulent means, transferred the master documents to others, or submitted false documents.

For masters under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, they receive a one-time incentive of 20 million won in national support funds according to the Skilled Technology Encouragement Act. However, the bill stipulates that a hearing must be held to cancel the selection if the master violates the duty to maintain dignity. A Ministry of Employment and Labor official stated, "Since the regulations for revoking masters are already specified, punishment is sufficiently possible under existing laws."

The problem is that cases of food companies beloved by consumers violating the Food Sanitation Act, like the defective kimchi incident, have continued. Last year, a kimchi company operated by a celebrity was sent to prosecution for violating the Food Sanitation Act, and in 2020, a famous franchise bakery that started in Busan and expanded nationwide used expired ingredients and paid nearly 200 million won in fines and penalties. However, since they were not registered as masters or food masters, the punishment ended with fines.

Therefore, it seems that the voices calling for stricter punishment standards for masters and food masters have been reflected in this bill. A National Assembly official explained, "The government has never revoked a master designation before. In the case of CEO Kim, since she voluntarily expressed her intention to return the title, the government could not intervene to revoke it. However, the law was enacted to prevent recurrence of such incidents and to enhance the credibility of the master system."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.