Gyeonggi Province has caught a butcher shop selling 'non-Hanwoo' such as Korean beef cattle (Yukwoo) disguised as Hanwoo.
A butcher shop was caught selling non-Hanwoo beef, such as domestic beef, by falsely labeling it as Hanwoo. The photo is not directly related to the article. [Image source=Getty Images]
The Gyeonggi Provincial Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory announced on the 26th that from August 16 to September 15, it collected 81 samples of Hanwoo distributed in butcher shops (meat retail stores) within the province and conducted DNA tests, confirming that one case was non-Hanwoo (imported meat, dairy cattle meat, Yukwoo meat).
The Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory additionally detected four cases of Hanwoo with false traceability numbers at the butcher shop that sold non-Hanwoo.
To prevent lower-grade beef from being falsely labeled with the traceability number of another individual with superior meat quality, the laboratory verifies the DNA match between slaughtered beef and distributed beef.
A researcher at the Gyeonggi-do Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory is collecting Hanwoo cattle for genetic testing.
The Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory notified the competent city where the sales business is located to take legal action against the violators under the Food Labeling and Advertising Act and the Livestock Products Traceability Act, and to impose fines of up to 5 million won based on the inspection results.
Park Kyung-ae, head of the Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory, stated, "Since violators have been identified, we will expand the target to include livestock discount stores, meat restaurants, and meat retail stores for comprehensive sample collection and inspection," adding, "We will continue to conduct thorough inspections until the sale of fake Hanwoo is eradicated."
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