[Exclusive] 1,994 Convenience Store Food Sanitation Act Violations in 5 Years... GS25 Tops 'Dishonor' List

127 Violations from January to June This Year
Expired Products and Pricing Issues Most Frequent
Hygiene Authorities and Headquarters Need Education and Inspections

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Over the past five years, there have been a total of 1,994 violations of the Food Sanitation Act at convenience stores, averaging 388 cases per year. Among the brands, GS25 recorded the highest number of violations, an unfortunate distinction.

According to data on 'Convenience Store Food Sanitation Act Violations' submitted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to the office of Kim Won-i, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, 127 violations were recorded among major convenience stores from January to June this year. By year, there were 366 cases in 2018, 641 in 2019, 459 in 2020, and 402 in 2021, showing that hundreds of Food Sanitation Act violations occur annually at convenience stores.

By type, violations of hygienic handling standards, represented by storing and selling expired products, accounted for 52.9%, and failure to complete hygiene education, which can be considered a potential hygiene risk factor, accounted for 28.5%. This was followed by unauthorized disposal (12.8%), failure to conduct health examinations (2.2%), and violations of business operator compliance requirements (1.3%).

By company, GS25 recorded the highest number of Food Sanitation Act violations over the past five years with 626 cases (32.2%). This was followed by CU with 558 cases (28.7%), Seven Eleven with 504 cases (25.9%), Emart24 with 162 cases (8.3%), and Korea Ministop with 144 cases (7.4%). However, in the first half of this year, the number of violations was highest in the order of CU (45 cases), Seven Eleven (32 cases), GS25 (28 cases), Emart24 (15 cases), and Korea Ministop (7 cases).

Although convenience stores receive fines every year, violations of the Food Sanitation Act are repeated, highlighting the need for continuous education and inspections by hygiene authorities and convenience store headquarters. Currently, CU and GS25 operate about 16,000 stores, Seven Eleven (including Korea Ministop) about 14,000 stores, and Emart24 about 6,200 stores.

Assemblyman Kim stated, "As convenience stores become increasingly popular among office workers and students for quick meals amid high inflation, hygiene issues are also emerging," adding, "To provide safe food to the public, meticulous hygiene management by food companies and thorough investigation and inspection by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety are necessary."