Gyeonggi-do, One Case of Non-compliance Detected in Lunar New Year Seasonal Food Safety Inspection

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Gyeonggi Province detected one non-compliant food item during safety inspections of holiday seasonal foods.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Institute of Health and Environment announced on the 5th that, after collecting and testing 557 items of processed foods, health functional foods, and agricultural and marine products commonly consumed for holiday ancestral rites and gifts from the 15th to the 26th of last month, pesticide residue exceeding the allowable limit was found in green onions.

The Institute conducted tests on foods collected through provincial and municipal officials from large supermarkets, agricultural and marine wholesale markets, manufacturing sites, and food service establishments within the province.

The items tested included ▲ processed and prepared foods such as snacks (Hangwa), rice cakes, and edible oils (178 items) ▲ health functional foods such as red ginseng and probiotics (34 items) ▲ agricultural and marine products such as spinach, tangerines, and octopus (345 items).

The inspection items covered heavy metals, preservatives, acid value, benzo[a]pyrene, microorganisms including Staphylococcus aureus, 471 types of pesticide residues, and radioactive substances (131I, 134Cs+137Cs).

Among agricultural products, green onions collected from a large supermarket in the province exceeded the pesticide residue limit, with prosymidone, a fungicide, detected at 0.81 mg/kg, which is five times the standard limit of 0.15 mg/kg.

A representative from the Institute stated, "We conducted rapid safety inspections on seasonal foods to ensure residents can celebrate the holidays with peace of mind," adding, "We will continue to conduct pre-inspections on foods with increased consumption during specific periods such as holidays to create an environment where safe foods can be consumed."

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