Busan Restaurant Suspected of Reusing Soup Consumed by Customers
Previous Cases of Food Reuse in Restaurants Reported on Online Communities
Reuse of Dishes and Side Dishes Violates Food Sanitation Law
Risk of Foodborne Illness and Food Poisoning
"Not Qualified to Do Business," Citizens Outraged
Controversy arose after allegations surfaced that a restaurant in Jung-gu, Busan, reused broth. / Photo by Internet Community Capture
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] A controversy over 'restaurant food reuse' has reignited after allegations surfaced that a customer spilled the soup they were eating back into the broth container at a restaurant in Busan. Previously, there were reports of some restaurants reheating leftover food from customers and serving it again, as well as mixing leftover side dishes with fresh ones for reuse, sparking similar controversies.
As such incidents continue, public anxiety is growing. There are concerns about food hygiene and safety, and experts point out that if food spoils, it could cause food poisoning.
On the 18th, a post appeared on an online community claiming to have witnessed food reuse at a restaurant during a trip to Busan.
The author stated, "A restaurant in Jung-gu, Busan, reuses food," adding, "I saw that when some men at the back table asked for their food to be reheated, the staff took the broth container and reheated the soup by pouring the customer's leftover soup back into it."
They continued, "I doubted my eyes and asked them to reheat our food as well, and sure enough, they poured our soup back into the broth container to reheat it."
One netizen claimed to have witnessed a customer at a restaurant in Jung-gu, Busan, pouring leftover broth into the stock container and then using it to season other dishes. However, the photo posted by this netizen alone does not clearly reveal the context of the situation. / Photo by Internet Community Capture
The author also shared two photos capturing the scene. The photos show a restaurant employee ladling soup. However, since these are not videos, the exact context before and after is unclear.
Cases of restaurants reusing dishes and side dishes continue to occur. On the 7th of last month, a video by a YouTuber showed a famous pork soup restaurant in Busan serving leftover radish kimchi (kkakdugi) that a customer had left uneaten, prompting authorities to take administrative actions.
On the 17th of the same month, a staff member reheating seafood stew was caught on camera at a pollack stew restaurant in Changwon, Gyeongnam, and a netizen raised the issue on an online community, sparking controversy.
As cases of food reuse in restaurants persist, citizens expressed outrage.
On the 7th of last month, a video on YouTube captured the reuse of side dishes at a restaurant in Busan, sparking controversy. / Photo by YouTube video capture
A man in his 20s, office worker A, said, "I've heard for a long time that some restaurants reuse food, but I can't believe this is still happening. I think these business owners are unfit to run a restaurant. They should be shut down completely."
Another office worker in their 30s, B, said, "Food contaminated with human saliva spoils quickly even when refrigerated, so imagine what happens when multiple people have used the same spoon. How can people who run food businesses neglect such basic hygiene?"
In fact, food reuse poses a critical hygiene risk. Food contaminated with saliva or respiratory secretions from others can cause food poisoning if stored for long periods.
For this reason, food reuse is illegal under current food hygiene laws. According to Article 57 of the Enforcement Rules of the Food Sanitation Act, as a general rule, food left uneaten by customers in restaurants cannot be reused, cooked again, or stored. This prohibition is even stricter for ingredients that spoil or deteriorate easily and require refrigeration.
Nevertheless, cases of food reuse in restaurants being caught continue to appear every year.
According to data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, from 2015 to 2020, there were a total of 183,371 administrative actions taken for violations of the Food Sanitation Act over six years. Among these, violations categorized as 'operator compliance violations,' which include food reuse cases, accounted for 46,833 cases, the highest number among all administrative action reasons.
Meanwhile, Jung-gu, Busan, announced that the relevant authorities will investigate the restaurant accused of reusing broth.
On the 19th, Jung-gu, Busan, stated, "We will conduct an on-site inspection immediately after the restaurant in question opens this afternoon due to the controversy online," adding, "We will verify the facts and take appropriate measures if confirmed."
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