MFDS Identifies 10 Online Distributors and Unmanned Butcher Shops Violating Regulations on Livestock Products

On the 18th, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that it conducted inspections on 470 livestock product manufacturers and unmanned butcher shops distributing and selling online, identifying 10 violations of the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act and requesting administrative actions from the relevant local governments.

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The main violations included ▲storage and sale of livestock products past the consumption (distribution) expiration date (1 case) ▲failure to monitor HACCP Critical Control Points (CCP) (1 case) ▲violations of compliance requirements by business operators (5 cases) ▲failure to conduct self-quality inspections (1 case) ▲failure to complete hygiene education for business operators (1 case) ▲labeling standard violations (1 case), among others. The detected businesses will be re-inspected within six months after administrative measures are taken by the competent authorities to verify improvements.

Additionally, 720 samples of top-selling online livestock products and those sold at unmanned butcher shops were collected and tested. Listeria, a food poisoning bacterium, was detected in one processed meat product (ham). In two packaged meat samples, residues of sulfa drugs and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, a food poisoning bacterium, were detected respectively, leading to their recall and disposal.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety advised, "During the summer season when temperatures rise, when purchasing livestock products from online sources, unmanned butcher shops, or vending machines, please carefully check the condition of the contents (such as spoilage odor, discoloration), storage temperature, and packaging status, and consume them as quickly as possible."

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