Gyeonggi-do Conducts 'Inspection' of 67 Online and Non-Face-to-Face Livestock Product Sellers
by Lee YeongKyu
Published 13 Apr.2023 07:06(KST)
Gyeonggi Province will conduct intensive inspections of 67 manufacturers of livestock products and operators of unmanned butcher shops and vending machines that sell a large volume of products online by the 25th.
On the 13th, the province announced that in response to the rapidly increasing trend of online and contactless consumption of livestock products since the outbreak of COVID-19, it will collect and test products by category from 33 meat processing businesses producing packaged meats such as beef and pork belly, ham and sausage processed meat businesses, 27 packaging processing businesses, and 7 operators of unmanned butcher shops and IoT vending machines to prevent food safety incidents such as food poisoning.
The main inspection items include ▲ compliance with hygienic handling standards for meat ▲ adherence to storage temperature and proper operation of refrigeration and freezing equipment ▲ use of appropriate packaging methods and refrigerants to maintain storage temperature during delivery ▲ sale of products past their expiration (distribution) date ▲ hygiene management of machinery within unmanned facilities, among others.
The province plans to recall and dispose of any non-compliant products found during inspections and take administrative actions against violations.
In addition to hygiene inspections, the province will collect packaged meat and processed meat products for safety testing.
In particular, residue tests for antibiotics and pesticides will also be conducted on packaged meat.
Kim Jong-hoon, head of the Animal Quarantine and Hygiene Division of the province, emphasized, "Consumer patterns for livestock product consumption have changed since COVID-19. As online and contactless purchases of livestock products increase, we will do our best to establish a safe food distribution order."
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