Gyeongnam Special Judicial Police Crack Down on Distributors and Sellers of Substandard Food Ingredients

Unauthorized Meat Packaging and False Grading at 18 Locations

Up to 10 Years Imprisonment, Fines Up to 100 Million KRW, and Business Suspension

The special judicial police of Gyeongnam Province have caught 18 companies in a planned crackdown on illegal activities such as the distribution and sale of substandard food ingredients conducted from March to this month.

On the 19th, the special judicial police announced that they carried out the crackdown targeting food ingredient suppliers for collective catering facilities such as schools within the province, in cooperation with the provincial Food and Drug Department, the Provincial Office of Education, and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT).

The crackdown revealed a series of violations, including unauthorized meat packaging processing, falsification of transaction statements, and processing of livestock products in locations other than the approved workplaces.

Among them, Company A, which produced packaged pork cuts such as pork loin and hind leg meat for sweet and sour pork from January to May this year and distributed them to restaurants, was found to have operated meat packaging processing without permission from the relevant authorities.

During on-site inspections, it was estimated that more than 5 tons (t) of pork were piled up in freezers, refrigerators, and workplaces, suggesting that tens of tons of meat had been distributed to nearby restaurants over time.

Gyeongsangnam-do Special Judicial Police are conducting on-site inspections of food ingredient distribution companies.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government]

Company B has been licensed by the relevant authorities since 2019 to operate meat packaging processing and has been manufacturing and processing packaged beef and pork to supply school cafeterias.

In this process, it was revealed that after manufacturing and processing grade 2 beef round and grade 2 beef brisket as packaged meat, the company falsely labeled them as grade 1 beef round and grade 1 beef brisket and supplied them to nearby school cafeterias.

In addition, companies that produced packaged meat products in locations other than the approved workplaces while performing meat packaging processing, and companies that thawed frozen pork belly products produced as frozen livestock products to sell or supply them as refrigerated products and stored them in refrigerators, were also caught.

The special judicial police explained that the caught businesses will face up to 10 years of imprisonment or fines of up to 100 million won, along with business suspension or other measures imposed by the relevant authorities.

Kim Eun-nam, Director of the Provincial Social Disaster Division, said, “Recently, reports of illegal activities such as the sale and use of substandard food ingredients have increased through the media and complaints. Creating a safe meal environment for residents is of utmost importance,” adding, “Those who commit illegal acts will receive appropriate criminal punishment and administrative sanctions.”

He added, “Although the planned crackdown has ended, we plan to continue focused guidance and crackdowns on food ingredient suppliers.”

In addition to this year’s planned crackdown on food ingredient suppliers, the special judicial police have also conducted planned crackdowns on seafood origin labeling, substandard petroleum products, illegal stamping companies, and youth harmful environments.

So far, 59 cases have been detected, of which 32 have been sent to the prosecution, 20 are under investigation, and the remaining 7 have been subject to fines and administrative measures.

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