Comprehensive Safety Inspection of Livestock Products from Production to Distribution Ahead of Chuseok

The Gyeonggi Province Animal Health Laboratory (hereinafter, the Laboratory) is implementing comprehensive special hygiene and safety management covering all stages from production to processing, distribution, and sales to ensure that residents can safely consume livestock products during the upcoming Chuseok holiday.

First, in the production and slaughtering stage, the Laboratory will conduct extensive sanitation inspections and precision tests for three weeks from August 31 to September 18 on six slaughterhouses in the province (Hyopsin, Bucheon, Wookyung, Woojin, Dodoram, and Pyeongnong) and byproduct processing companies and other businesses using slaughterhouse facilities.

To enhance the safety of meat products during peak season, the Laboratory will significantly expand monitoring tests for antibiotic residue and precision tests for microorganisms serving as sanitation indicators (general bacteria and E. coli) compared to normal periods, enabling more thorough identification of any contamination. Additionally, the Laboratory plans to intensify safety management from the production and slaughtering stage by conducting focused inspections on facility conditions inside work areas and compliance with hygiene standards by businesses using slaughterhouse facilities.

In the distribution and sales stage, inspection teams will be organized from August 27 to September 10 to conduct multifaceted inspections targeting all processing, packaging, storage, and sales businesses.

Major inspection items include △compliance with hygienic handling, storage, and distribution standards of livestock products △improper use of raw materials and violations of labeling standards △implementation of self-quality inspection and health examinations. In particular, the Laboratory will focus intensified management on hygiene-vulnerable businesses with recent administrative action histories or citizen reports and complaints, while simultaneously conducting purchase inspections on livestock products with high consumption during the holidays.

Nam Young-hee, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Animal Health Laboratory, stated, "Since Chuseok is the period with the highest concentration of livestock product consumption throughout the year, proactive inspections and management prior to distribution are very important," and added, "Through thorough hygiene verification, we will do our best in on-site management to ensure that safe food is supplied to residents' holiday tables."