Gyeonggi-do Animal Hygiene Testing Center Strengthens Hygiene and Safety Inspections of Livestock Products for Chuseok

A researcher at the Gyeonggi-do Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory is conducting a microbial inspection of livestock products.

Gyeonggi Province is stepping up hygiene and safety inspections of livestock products ahead of Chuseok.

The Gyeonggi Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory announced on the 25th that, ahead of this year's Chuseok holiday, it will promote inspections of hygiene-vulnerable areas, expand livestock product testing, and prevent the distribution of illegal and substandard livestock products to ensure the safe supply of livestock products.

First, from the 28th of this month to the 22nd of next month, over a period of four weeks, the laboratory will inspect hygiene management at eight slaughterhouses in the province, focusing on by-product processing rooms, handling companies, and carcass transportation companies (transport vehicles).

The inspection items include ▲ hygienic handling of by-products ▲ compliance with refrigeration and freezing standards during carcass storage and transportation ▲ adherence to business operator requirements.

To secure safety at the production and distribution stages of livestock products, the laboratory will strengthen ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections at slaughterhouses and expand antibiotic residue and microbial testing in meat by more than 20%.

Additionally, from the 4th to the 15th of next month, during a two-week period, focused hygiene inspections will be conducted on meat processing companies that process, package, and sell Chuseok gift sets (including meat, ham, ribs, eggs, etc.). During this period, livestock products will be collected and tested for food poisoning bacteria and other standards to verify safety.

Violating companies that threaten the safety of livestock products will face administrative measures such as warnings, business suspension, and fines in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

Park Kyung-ae, director of the Gyeonggi Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory, stated, "As a surge in livestock product consumption is expected during the Chuseok holiday, thorough management throughout the production and distribution process is necessary. Therefore, we will focus inspections on hygiene-vulnerable areas and expand livestock product testing to preemptively block public health hazards, doing our best to ensure that safe livestock products are distributed to the residents of the province."