"Soil is sprinkled like seasoning"... After cigarette butts, 'sand mess' on Chinese perilla leaves

Domestic Company Manufactures Side Dishes Using Chinese Raw Materials
Possibility of Contamination During Distribution and Manufacturing Processes
On the 11th, Cigarette Butts Found in Perilla Leaves

Sand grains soaked with red pepper powder seasoning were found in the perilla leaf side dish. Photo by Informant Provided

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Gun-chan] A controversy has arisen after grains of sand coated with red pepper powder seasoning were found in perilla leaf side dishes sold at a local side dish store.

According to Yonhap News on the 25th, Mr. A, who lives in Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do, felt a gritty sensation while eating perilla leaf jangajji purchased from a side dish store near his home on the 15th. Upon closer inspection, he found it covered with sand. In the photo of the perilla leaves submitted by Mr. A, the substance presumed to be sand grains was stained red with red pepper powder seasoning.

The side dish store offered a refund for the perilla leaves and additional compensation, but Mr. A refused the compensation and reported the matter to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Mr. A said, "No matter how poorly the perilla leaves were washed, I cannot understand how soil could be piled on like seasoning." The Ministry plans to investigate the side dish store and the manufacturer in sequence.

It was confirmed that the perilla leaves purchased by Mr. A were made into side dishes by a domestic company using raw materials imported from China. It was later found that they were sold nationwide to side dish stores through distributors.

The perilla leaf manufacturer stated that foreign substances might have entered during the primary processing stages such as dividing large quantities of perilla leaves into smaller portions at the side dish store, washing, pickling, or packaging.

An official from the company explained, "Before processing the Chinese perilla leaf raw materials into side dishes in Korea, they are washed again. At this time, if the wet perilla leaves stick together and do not separate, foreign substances may not be filtered out."

He added, "We maintain strict hygiene management, so we were surprised to find foreign substances. If the consumer is not lying, we have no choice but to acknowledge that foreign substances entered during distribution or manufacturing processes," and said, "Agricultural products inherently carry risks of foreign substances such as soil."

Earlier, on the 11th, cigarette butts were also found in seasoned perilla leaves. Additionally, paper attached to cigarette filters was discovered inside the perilla leaf container. It was confirmed that this perilla leaf product was also made from Chinese raw materials.

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