Incheon City Special Judicial Police Focus on Illegal Activities of Restaurants Registered on Popular Delivery Apps

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The Incheon Special Judicial Police announced on the 25th that they will conduct a focused investigation throughout November into illegal activities of delivery-only restaurants registered on popular delivery app sites.

The city is launching the investigation to strengthen the safety management of delivery food, as the demand for delivery food continues to increase due to the rise of single-person households, diversification of delivery food, and the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

The city plans to crack down on about 30 businesses that are habitual and chronic violators of food hygiene laws, handling popular delivery items such as pizza, chicken, jokbal, bunsik, and anju, registered on popular delivery app sites. If violations of the Food Sanitation Act are detected, the operators will be booked.

The main investigation points include ▲ violations of refrigeration and freezing storage standards for raw materials ▲ storage of ingredients past their expiration date for cooking or sales purposes ▲ reuse of food, among others.

According to the Food Sanitation Act, violating refrigeration and freezing storage standards for food can result in imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to 50 million won.

Also, using expired products for cooking, storing them without labels such as 'for disposal or educational use,' or reusing food can lead to imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30 million won.

An official from the Incheon Special Judicial Police stated, "Due to the nature of delivery-only restaurants, consumers cannot directly see inside the business or kitchen, which may cause anxiety," and added, "We will thoroughly investigate illegal activities to create a food culture environment where safe food is provided."

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