Gyeonggi Province Health and Environment Research Institute: 99% of 853 'Lunar New Year Holiday Foods' Found Safe in Hazardous Substance Tests

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] The Gyeonggi Province Health and Environment Research Institute announced on the 10th that, following a survey of 853 'lunar new year holiday foods' for hazardous substances from January 18 to February 5, all items were found to be safe except for 3 items.

The survey was jointly conducted by the institute's main office, northern branch, and agricultural and aquatic product inspection offices in Suwon, Guri, Anyang, and Ansan, targeting Korean confectionery (tteok) products, edible oils and fats, and agricultural and aquatic products distributed through department stores, public wholesale markets, and traditional markets throughout the province, with comprehensive inspections for hazardous substances including preservatives, heavy metals, pesticide residues, radioactivity, and antibiotics.

The institute's main office and northern branch inspected 311 processed food items for preservatives, heavy metals, foodborne pathogens, and product specification deficiencies, while the agricultural and aquatic product inspection offices in Suwon, Guri, Anyang, and Ansan examined 542 agricultural and aquatic products for pesticide residues, antibiotics, and radioactivity.

The survey results showed 850 items to be safe from hazardous substances, while 2 items of agricultural processed honey failed on 'reducing sugar standards' and 1 item of aquatic product scorpionfish exceeded 'antibiotic standards,' resulting in non-compliance determinations.

The two honey samples showed 'reducing sugar,' an evaluation criterion for honey authenticity assessment, at 57.2% and 55.4% respectively, below the 60% standard, while the scorpionfish showed the antibiotic 'trimethoprim' detected at levels higher than the standard.

The institute reported the 3 non-compliant items to the relevant municipal authorities overseeing the manufacturers and requested administrative measures including seizure and disposal.

Oh Jo-gyo, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Health and Environment Research Institute, said, "Following the safety inspection of lunar new year holiday foods, we found that over 99.6% have no safety issues," and added, "We will continue to conduct inspections to ensure that foods containing hazardous substances do not reach residents' tables."