Gyeonggi Health and Environment Institute Detects 6 Non-compliant Food Items in Chuseok Seasonal Products

A researcher from the Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment is conducting an inspection related to Chuseok seasonal products.

Gyeonggi Province detected 6 cases of non-compliant food products among Chuseok seasonal items and requested administrative action.

The Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment announced on the 22nd that from the 1st to the 15th of this month, they tested 262 samples collected from large supermarkets, traditional markets, and 410 samples collected through the institute's 'Food Safety Keeper' project for food poisoning bacteria, preservatives, heavy metals, pesticide residues, and radioactivity. As a result, 6 non-compliant food products were detected, and administrative action was requested from the relevant authorities.

The test results showed that 5 agricultural products exceeded the allowable pesticide residue limits, and 1 liquid tea product exceeded the allowable bacterial count. Safety tests for food poisoning bacteria, heavy metals, and radioactivity all met the standards.

The agricultural products exceeding pesticide residue limits included 5 types: lettuce, chicory, and chili leaves. Among them, chili leaves from Pamoksadon were found to contain 0.97 mg/kg, which is 97 times the allowable limit of 0.01 mg/kg. The liquid tea product was deemed non-compliant due to bacterial counts exceeding the standard.

In particular, this year, due to increased concerns about seafood safety following the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima, Japan, the institute strengthened radioactivity inspections on seafood. Detailed radioactivity tests were conducted on 73 seafood items such as flatfish and mackerel, and 24 processed seafood products such as dried squid strips, all of which were found to be non-detectable for radioactivity.

The Institute of Health and Environment notified the relevant authorities to take administrative measures on the non-compliant food products, and 173 kg of non-compliant agricultural products were seized and destroyed.

A representative from the institute stated, "In preparation for Chuseok, a major national holiday, we proactively conducted inspections on seasonal foods commonly used for ancestral rites and gifts," adding, "We will maintain an emergency contact system to promptly respond to food poisoning incidents and other food safety issues during the holiday period and do our best efforts."

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