What Are the Best Tips for Safely Choosing Food in Unmanned Stores?

Are the food products in the increasing number of unmanned stores safe?

Due to various social changes such as technological advancements, the untact culture, and minimum wage increases, unmanned stores operating 24 hours without staff have recently been on the rise.

Most of these stores focus on food items, and it is easy to find shops selling coffee, ice cream, meat, dried seafood, meal kits, lunch boxes, and frozen foods.

With the increase in unmanned food stores, the Korea Consumer Agency recently investigated 35 food safety and labeling items on food products sold at 29 unmanned stores.

The results revealed the detection of food poisoning bacteria, spoilage of ingredients such as onions, mushrooms, and green onions, and products past their expiration dates, indicating the need for strengthened hygiene management.

Dr. Park Incheol, an internist at Daedong Hospital, emphasized, “As single-person households increase, people tend to choose foods that are easy to prepare and inexpensive, but since food intake is directly related to health, it is important to pay attention to consuming quality food.”

He added, “Rather than eating carelessly, it is necessary to consider health and nutritional balance together and to check the freshness of ingredients and expiration dates to ensure the safety of the food consumed.”

Frozen prepared food image. [Image source=Clipart Korea]

Unmanned store operators should, as a basic rule, pay attention to hygiene management by inspecting products and stores, and consumers should also carefully check the food they purchase since it is for themselves and their families.

When visiting unmanned stores, it is important to check that refrigerators, tables, trash bins, and floors are clean and free of odors, and to purchase from places where the overall facility environment is hygienic.

When selecting products, it is advisable to check the daily nutritional values such as sodium, carbohydrates, sugars, and fats on the food nutrition information to choose appropriate foods.

Consumers should check the packaging condition, such as whether the product is sealed or if the packaging is damaged. In the case of meal kits with multiple ingredients portioned separately, there is a risk of spoilage during packaging, so look for discoloration or odors.

If you suspect that the temperature of the refrigeration or freezer where the product is stored is too high, refrain from purchasing.

If mild symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, or vomiting occur after eating, it is recommended to fast and take plenty of fluids and rest. When symptoms improve and appetite returns, consuming bland foods like porridge that are gentle on the stomach is advisable.

Unlike mild stomach upset, if severe abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, watery diarrhea, or dehydration symptoms appear, there may be other causes of illness, so you should visit a nearby medical institution for accurate diagnosis and treatment.

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