Massive Bugs Found in Harim Fresh Chicken... Shock After Removing Fat from Neck Area

Harim's 'Animal Welfare Chicken' Infested with Bugs
Whistleblower: "Lump of Fat on Neck Felt Suspicious"
Harim: "Not Filtered Out During Crop Removal Process"

Consumers were shocked after a large number of insects were found in Harim's chicken products, prompting the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to launch an investigation.

According to Cookie News on the 31st, Mr. A purchased Harim's 'Animal Welfare Whole Chicken' product at Emart Dongtan branch on the 27th and discovered dozens of insect-like foreign substances in the muscle layer of the neck area. He immediately reported the matter to both Emart and Harim.

The appearance of the Harim chicken product purchased by Mr. A. [Image provided by Mr. A]

Photos provided by Mr. A show that when the lower neck area of the raw chicken was opened, it was filled with foreign substances resembling clusters of larvae. Mr. A said, "There appeared to be a lump of fat clustered around the chicken neck," adding, "Feeling uneasy, I tried to remove the fat, and dozens of larvae came out."

He added, "The Emart CS team contacted me and collected the product," and "I was told that a Harim sales representative received the product from the store and plans to analyze the foreign substances."

Emart immediately offered a refund upon receiving Mr. A's complaint, but he declined, stating, "The issue is not about the amount of money but preventing defective products from being sold to other consumers and causing further damage."

The product was sold during a weekend sale event and was reportedly almost sold out. However, no additional complaints similar to Mr. A's case have been reported.

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Conducts On-site Investigation... "Will Consider Measures to Prevent Recurrence"

[Image provided by Harim]

Meanwhile, after receiving Mr. A's report, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety conducted an on-site investigation on the 30th at Harim's factory located in Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do.

An official from the Livestock Product Safety Policy Division of the Ministry stated, "It is understood that the incident occurred during the distribution process at a factory in Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do," and added, "Jeongeup city has started an investigation, and the foreign substance specimens have arrived on-site and are currently being examined," according to Cookie News.

He continued, "This is not a typical situation, so a comprehensive investigation of feed and other factors is necessary," and said, "We believe that this issue, which can cause disgust among people, should not be resolved solely at the corporate correction level, and we will also assess whether the measures to prevent recurrence are appropriate."

The insects found in the raw chicken are presumed to be lesser mealworm larvae, a type of beetle larva. A Harim official stated, "The initial inspection of the product confirmed that the larvae found were indeed lesser mealworm larvae remaining in the feed sac. They were not filtered out during the feed sac removal process," adding, "The larvae or insects do not pose a hygienic problem."

He also said, "We apologized to the consumer who purchased the product over the phone," and added, "Usually, the internal organs are removed, and the insects are completely eliminated. Only one larva was found, which was not filtered out because an excessive amount of larvae was ingested."

Emart emphasized, "Under the principle that customer safety is the top priority, we plan to thoroughly manage quality to prevent recurrence after investigating the cause with the manufacturer."