Gyeonggi-do Conducts Intensive Food Poisoning Inspections at 777 Livestock Farms

Gyeonggi Province will conduct intensive inspections of 777 livestock-related businesses vulnerable to heat from the 5th to the 19th of this month to prevent food poisoning during the summer season.

Gyeonggi Province is launching a food poisoning prevention inspection targeting livestock product-related businesses ahead of the summer season.

On the 2nd, Gyeonggi Province announced that from the 5th to the 19th of this month, it will conduct focused inspections on 777 livestock product-related businesses vulnerable to heat during the summer to prevent food poisoning.

The inspection targets include 82 livestock product processing plants, 130 packaging and processing companies, 540 sales businesses, and 25 storage companies, including manufacturers supplying raw materials for military supplies or school meals, as well as livestock product storage and sales businesses related to delivery services.

The main inspection items are ▲ hygienic handling and manufacturing of livestock products ▲ compliance with storage temperatures and proper functioning of refrigeration and freezing facilities ▲ storage and sale of products past their consumption (distribution) expiration date ▲ implementation of microbial safety management such as self-quality inspections.

Gyeonggi Province will also promote and provide guidance on meat safety guidelines, including for raw meat products, targeting meat packaging and processing companies.

In addition to hygiene inspections, Gyeonggi Province will collect and test the safety of camping livestock products (such as sausages and easy-to-cook marinated meats), unmanned store ice cream, milk, and egg products, which see a surge in demand during summer.

In particular, food poisoning bacteria tests will be conducted on ground meat, ground processed meat products, ready-to-eat products, and sterilized products.

For non-compliant products found, Gyeonggi Province plans to investigate the causes, recall and dispose of them, and take legal action and administrative measures against businesses violating the Livestock Products Hygiene Control Act and related laws.

Kim Jong-hoon, head of the Animal Quarantine and Hygiene Division of the province, stated, "Livestock products can easily deteriorate during the summer and are often a major cause of food safety incidents such as food poisoning. We will thoroughly inspect the entire process from production to sale of livestock products to ensure consumers can safely consume them."