Oh Yu-kyung, MFDS Commissioner, "Doing Our Best for Stable Supply of Refined Salt"

Amid concerns over supply shortages of solar salt and processed salt due to controversies surrounding radiation in Japan, Oh Yu-kyung, the Commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, visited a refined salt manufacturing company on the 27th to assess the market situation.

Oh Yu-kyung, Commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, is visiting a refined salt manufacturing company on the 27th to inspect the site.
[Photo by Ministry of Food and Drug Safety]

On the afternoon of the same day, Commissioner Oh visited Hanju Co., Ltd. located in Ulsan to inspect the refined salt processing site and listen to any difficulties faced. Hanju is a company specializing in the production of refined salt, accounting for more than 99% of the domestic supply.

Along with inspecting the processing site, Commissioner Oh discussed measures to increase production through improvements in the manufacturing process in case of a supply crisis. Previously, refined salt was produced by concentrating, refining, and drying seawater, but the process was improved by dissolving solar salt additionally into the concentrated brine obtained from seawater before refining and drying, thereby reducing the time required for refined salt production and increasing yield.

Im Jung-gyu, CEO of Hanju, emphasized, "Refined salt, mainly used in food manufacturing, is produced by concentrating and refining seawater, so unlike solar salt, it can be produced and supplied stably." Commissioner Oh stated, "While the supply and manufacturing management capabilities of refined salt are considered sufficient, please actively cooperate to ensure stable supply of refined salt by expanding production if necessary in preparation for any possible supply disruptions."

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated that it will regularly monitor the supply status of refined salt in cooperation with related ministries and associations, prepare measures to stabilize supply and demand in case of a supply crisis, and strive to alleviate public anxiety by ensuring the safe supply of food.

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