Special Inspection for Standardization of Fruit Grades at Garak Market During the Lunar New Year Holiday

Seoul Agro-Fisheries & Food Corporation, Wholesale Fruit Corporations, Jeongwaryeon, and Fruit Associations Joint Inspection

The Seoul Agro-Fisheries & Food Corporation (President Moon Young-pyo) will conduct a joint special inspection on the standard grading of fruits during the Lunar New Year holiday in collaboration with the corporation, wholesale market corporations, and fruit cooperatives to protect honest shippers and secure consumer trust through a special inspection of standard specifications for agricultural products shipped to Garak Market.

The standard grading inspection is a system that inspects agricultural products shipped to Garak Market before auction by wholesale market corporations for compliance with weight, quantity discrepancies, spoilage (deterioration), and binding, ensuring that consumers can trust and purchase reliable agricultural products.

In 2023, 386,000 cases were inspected, and 730 cases were detected as non-compliant. Stepwise administrative measures such as caution, warning, and shipment suspension were taken against shippers who shipped non-compliant agricultural products.

In 2024, the inspection will be expanded to 391,000 cases.

The National Fruit Wholesale Dealers Association (President Jeong Seok-rok) visited the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service (Director Park Seong-woo) on the 17th and requested guidance for production areas to ensure that consumers can trust and purchase domestic agricultural products. They especially urged for education and enforcement to comply with standard specifications for citrus fruits, which are shipped intensively during winter.

The corporation will also conduct a joint special inspection with the corporation, wholesale market corporations, the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives, and fruit cooperatives to ensure consumer and citizen food trust during the Lunar New Year holiday.

First, from the 22nd, a focused inspection will be conducted on small-packaged fruits preferred by consumers such as citrus fruits, Shine Muscat grapes, and strawberries. Second, intensive inspections and enforcement will be carried out after the 29th, focusing on major ritual items such as apples and pears before the Lunar New Year holiday.

If cases such as underweight or false labeling are detected during the inspection, stepwise administrative actions will be taken, and chronic malicious shippers will be subject to special investigations requested to relevant agencies.

Son Bong-hee, Head of the Corporation’s Environmental Development Headquarters, stated, “We will continue to do our best to establish a fair and transparent distribution order to protect the majority of honest shippers shipping to Garak Market and to supply agricultural and fishery products that consumers and citizens can safely trust and consume.”

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