Loofah Found in Mooncakes Imported from China
MFDS Orders Sales Suspension and Recall
Loofah was found in mooncakes imported from China and distributed in Korea, leading the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) to halt sales and initiate a recall.
Chinese mooncake containing luffa. [Photo by Ministry of Food and Drug Safety]
On the 3rd, the MFDS announced that loofah was discovered in some mooncake products imported by Y Food, located in Gyeonggi Province, on the 1st. Mooncakes are traditional Chinese pastries made to symbolize the round shape of the full moon on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, a custom that continues to this day. The recalled product is a 450g packaged item manufactured on March 18 by a Chinese manufacturer, W.
The MFDS urged sellers holding the recalled food to stop sales and return the products, and advised consumers to return the products to the place of purchase. However, even the day after the recall and sales suspension order (on the 2nd), it was revealed that Chinese mooncake products exceeded preservative limits such as sorbic acid, further increasing distrust toward Chinese food products.
In response, Professor Seokyung Deok of Sungshin Women’s University stated, "Last year, a video surfaced showing a man urinating on a truck after unloading at a Qingdao beer factory, one of China’s four major breweries, causing controversy." He added, "In 2021, a video showing a Chinese man naked in a tank pickling cabbage, known as 'naked kimchi,' caused a huge uproar." He continued, "It is now time for our government to strengthen more thorough inspections on imports of Chinese food products," emphasizing, "Safe food is a very important issue directly related to the health of the people."
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