Until January 31, Strict Measures Including Seizure and Criminal Charges Against Illegal Distribution of Agricultural, Livestock, Fishery Products, and Health Functional Foods
Severe Punishments Including Up to 7 Years Imprisonment and Fines Up to
The Busan Metropolitan City Special Judicial Police Department will conduct a "Special Food Safety Crackdown for the Lunar New Year" from January 11 to 31, targeting illegal distribution activities such as the mislabeling of the origin of agricultural products used for ancestral rites and gifts ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.
The special crackdown will focus on manufacturers and sellers of agricultural, livestock, and marine products, as well as health functional foods, whose consumption increases during the Lunar New Year for ancestral rites and gifts.
The main inspection items include ▲ cooking and selling products past their expiration date ▲ violations of food preservation standards and specifications ▲ false or confusing origin labeling of agricultural, livestock, and marine products, including Japanese seafood ▲ use of unlabeled products in food manufacturing and cooking, and compliance with food hygiene management standards.
In this crackdown, to enhance effectiveness, prior information gathering will be strengthened, and scientific inspection methods will be actively utilized, such as pork origin verification test kits and inspections linked with specialized institutions like the Agricultural and Fishery Products Quality Management Service and the Health and Environment Research Institute to detect illegal activities.
The Special Judicial Police plan to take strict measures, including food seizure and criminal charges, against businesses found violating regulations during this crackdown in accordance with relevant laws.
▲ In cases of false origin labeling, offenders face up to 7 years imprisonment or fines up to 100 million KRW under the "Act on the Labeling of Origin of Agricultural and Fishery Products" ▲ violations of food preservation standards and specifications are punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment or fines up to 50 million KRW under the "Food Sanitation Act" ▲ storing products past their expiration date for cooking or sale purposes is punishable by up to 3 years imprisonment or fines up to 30 million KRW under the "Food Sanitation Act."
Mayor Park Hyung-jun stated, "Ahead of the Lunar New Year, we planned this investigation to supply safer Lunar New Year food to citizens by conducting a special crackdown on manufacturers and sellers of foods with increased consumption during the holiday." He added, "If illegal activities that could threaten citizens' safety are detected through this crackdown, we will strictly punish them according to relevant laws."
The Busan Metropolitan City Special Judicial Police Department’s Food Investigation Team is receiving citizen reports on illegal activities.
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