Gyeonggi Province Special Investigation Unit to Crack Down on Illegal Activities in Bakery and Confectionery Manufacturing and Distribution

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun Reporter] The Gyeonggi Province Special Investigation Unit will intensively investigate illegal activities at large-scale bakery and confectionery manufacturers and distributors (such as cake producers) and major bakery cafes frequently visited by consumers from December 8 to 17.

The province's special investigation unit will target approximately 100 bakery and confectionery manufacturing, processing, and retail businesses across the province to intensively investigate ▲unregistered food manufacturing and processing business activities ▲sales or manufacturing, processing, or use of products violating food standards and specifications ▲use or storage of expired products ▲origin labeling violations ▲and compliance with other food sanitation laws and regulations.

Unregistered food manufacturing and processing business activities and violations of standards and specifications established for each food item are subject to imprisonment of up to 5 years or fines of up to 50 million won. Using expired raw materials is subject to imprisonment of up to 3 years or fines of up to 30 million won. False origin labeling of inexpensive foreign raw materials as domestic products is subject to imprisonment of up to 7 years or fines of up to 100 million won, respectively.

Yun Tae-wan, Chief of the Gyeonggi Province Special Investigation Unit, stated, "This investigation focuses on intensively investigating large-scale bakery and confectionery manufacturers and distributors taking advantage of the Christmas and year-end season by preemptively preventing health hazards from food and ensuring safe and healthy food for residents of the province."

The Gyeonggi Province Special Investigation Unit is accepting reports from residents of illegal activities through its website (www.gg.go.kr/gg_special_cop) or the Gyeonggi Province Call Center (031-120).