Gyeonggi-do Sees Increase in Frozen Fruit Consumption... Safety Inspections for Handling Businesses

Gyeonggi Province will conduct safety inspections on manufacturers and processors handling frozen fruits, as well as department stores and large discount stores, until the 19th of this month.

This inspection comes in response to the increased consumption of frozen fruits, which are relatively cheaper, due to the rise in prices of domestically produced fruits.

Gyeonggi Province will visit about 10 frozen fruit manufacturing and processing facilities to check the suitability of raw fruit materials at the manufacturing stage and inspect the manufacturing process. At the same time, 30 samples of frozen fruits distributed and sold in the market at department stores and large discount stores will be collected and tested.

Frozen Fruit Processing Procedure

The inspection items include tar dyes, total aflatoxins, Escherichia coli, bacterial count, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and pesticide residues, which can cause symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea if excessively consumed or infected.

If any non-compliant products are found during the sample testing and guidance inspections, the products will be promptly discarded, and administrative actions will be requested from the relevant authorities. If there are serious hygiene concerns, the inspections will be expanded.

Most frozen fruit products are washed, frozen, and ready to eat as is, but some products advise washing before consumption, so consumers should carefully check related information when purchasing.

After this inspection of high-consumption frozen fruits, Gyeonggi Province will continue surveillance activities on high-consumption products, issues, incidents, and other food safety concerns.