Safety Gap Due to Uninspected Pollutants
A seafood distribution company and its representative have been prosecuted for fraudulently selling anchovies intended as fishing bait, which are not edible, in large quantities on the market.
The Food and Drug Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Park Hyang-cheol) announced on the 22nd that the company and its representative, Mr. A, were indicted without detention on charges of violating the Food Sanitation Act for distributing bait anchovies as edible products. Their trial will be held at the Jeju District Court, the relevant jurisdiction.
Anchovies caught through jukbangnyeom fishing in the Jijok Strait area, Samdong-myeon, Namhae-gun, Gyeongnam. (Unrelated to the content of this article) [Image source=Yonhap News]
According to the prosecution, Mr. A is accused of purchasing approximately 28 tons of non-edible frozen anchovies intended as bait from an importer between June 2022 and January of this year, and selling them as edible products to restaurants and retailers within Jeju Island.
Investigations revealed that Mr. A disguised bait anchovies as edible products and sold them after domestic and international supplies of edible anchovies became scarce. Through this method, he secured new clients and received about 74.6 million KRW from restaurants and retailers.
The unit price difference between bait anchovies and edible anchovies is not significant, at 13,000 KRW and 15,000 KRW per 10 kg, respectively. However, the prosecution explained that anchovies imported as bait do not undergo import inspections for contaminants such as lead and cadmium, unlike edible anchovies, raising concerns about their safety.
A prosecution official stated, "We will continue to work closely with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to ensure the safety of domestically distributed foods, including those served at tourist destinations."
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