Gyeonggi Province Conducts Origin Labeling Inspections and Safety Surveys for Agricultural and Fishery Products Ahead of Lunar New Year

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun Reporter] Gyeonggi Province will conduct intensive inspections and safety surveys on origin labeling of agricultural and fishery products for ritual offerings and gifts across 31 municipalities from the 17th to the 30th in preparation for the Lunar New Year holiday.

From the 18th to the 27th, joint origin labeling inspections will also be conducted with five cities and counties including Bucheon, Pyeongtaek, Yangpyeong, Yeoju, and Dongducheon.

Major inspection and collection items are distributed through large-scale retailers, traditional markets, and distance selling businesses, including ▲for ritual offerings: beef, pork, codonopsis, ostrich fern, dried persimmon, and sea bream varieties ▲for gifts: beef rib sets, fruits, traditional Korean sweets, ginseng, dried croaker, health foods (red ginseng, herbal medicine ingredients, etc.) ▲other table setting foods (various fried items, seasoned vegetable dishes, etc.).

In this inspection, approximately 140 'Gyeonggi Province Agricultural and Fishery Product Monitoring Officials' will conduct on-site promotion and guidance activities and non-face-to-face origin labeling inspections through electronic media monitoring according to the COVID-19 situation in each municipality.

Additionally, intensively collected high-consumption agricultural and fishery products for the Lunar New Year holiday from large retailers and department stores in the province will be tested for pesticide residues (340 types), heavy metals (3 types), veterinary drugs (105 types), and radioactivity (2 types).

For non-compliant items identified in safety surveys, sales suspension, collection, and disposal measures will be taken to block distribution.

In cases of origin labeling violations, false labeling is punishable by up to 7 years imprisonment or fines of up to 100 million won, and failure to display origin or violation of labeling methods results in administrative fines of up to 10 million won.

Violating businesses detected in origin labeling inspections, violation types, and methods to distinguish product origins by country can be checked on the websites of the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service (www.naqs.go.kr) or the National Fishery Products Quality Management Service (www.nfqs.go.kr).

Jin Hak-hoon, Head of the Agro-Food Distribution Division of the province, said, "We will do our best to ensure safe food ingredients reach tables through proper implementation and establishment of the origin labeling system and continuous safety surveys."