Guro-gu, Radiation Safety Inspection of Children's Meal Ingredients

Food Ingredients Supplied to Daycare Centers, Schools, and Kindergartens... Inspection Results Posted on Website... Continuous Implementation Since First Autonomous District Ordinance in 2014... No Radiation Detected in Collected Items Until May This Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “Eat school meals with confidence!”

Guro-gu (District Mayor Lee Seong) is conducting radiation safety inspections on ingredients used in children's meal facilities.

Guro-gu announced on the 3rd that since 2015, it has conducted annual radiation safety inspections on children's meal ingredients, and this year as well, inspections will be carried out until the end of the year to alleviate parents' concerns and protect children's health.

The inspection targets are ingredients supplied by companies to daycare centers, schools, kindergartens, and large food distribution stores. In May, 10 items including milk, cheese, and sausages from 5 daycare supply companies were collected and tested, with all samples showing “no detection of radioactive substances.” Inspections for schools and kindergartens were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will be conducted later according to meal schedules.

The inspection method involves collecting 150 key management target ingredients such as agricultural and marine products, livestock products, and processed foods to investigate whether radioactive cesium, radioactive iodine, and other items exceed certain standard levels.

Inspections are conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Institute of Health and Environment and private inspection agencies, and results are disclosed on the Guro-gu website.

Following the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan in 2011, Guro-gu enacted the “Seoul Metropolitan Guro-gu Ordinance for Supporting the Supply of Radiation-Safe Ingredients” in July 2014, the first in Seoul, through resident initiatives to alleviate concerns about ingredients.

Accordingly, radiation inspections and result disclosures for ingredients used in local children's and school meal facilities are conducted annually.

A Guro-gu official stated, “Since the first radiation inspection in 2015, not a single case of non-compliance has been detected,” and added, “We will continue to do our best to create a safe meal environment free from radiation.”