Gyeonggi-do Conducts Egg Safety Inspections... 103 Laying Hen Farms

GCMS equipment for egg safety inspection

Gyeonggi Province will conduct safety inspections to alleviate consumer concerns about eggs.

Egg safety inspections have been conducted once a year nationwide since 2017 due to social issues such as the pesticide egg scandal and food poisoning incidents caused by eggs. However, Gyeonggi Province has been conducting its own safety inspections twice a year since 2021.

The inspection targets are eggs produced by 103 laying hen farms in the northern Gyeonggi region. The inspection items include Salmonella, a food poisoning bacterium, as well as harmful residues such as pesticides and antibiotics.

Gyeonggi Province reported that all eggs passed the safety inspections last year.

If non-compliance due to illegal use of drugs is confirmed in the safety inspection results, eggs from the non-compliant farms will be withheld from shipment, recalled from distribution, and disposed of according to the "Regulations on Microbial and Residual Substance Testing of Edible Eggs." The farms will also be subject to special management, including fines and designation as regulated farms for six months.

Jung Bong-su, Director of the Northern Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Eggs are one of the livestock products frequently highlighted as a major cause of food poisoning every year, especially since they are widely consumed by children, so thorough inspections are necessary," adding, "We will strive to ensure that only safe eggs are produced."