Chinese Duck Meat Disguised as 'Domestic'... 254 Cases of 'Origin' Violations Detected During Holiday Season

The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service announced on the 13th that it conducted an origin labeling inspection from July 8 to the 9th targeting livestock product import and distribution companies, livestock product sales outlets at popular vacation (tourist) spots, and restaurants, and identified 254 violating businesses (265 items) during the vacation season when demand for livestock products increases.

This crackdown focused on monitoring the distribution status of livestock products and sharing distribution information with livestock organizations such as the Korea Duck Association. It concentrated on pork and smoked duck meat, whose import volumes have increased compared to last year and have a high likelihood of origin violations, by intensively inspecting false or missing origin labeling.

Scene of inspection of livestock product origin labeling companies.

The inspection results revealed 254 violating businesses. The violating items were pork with 116 cases (43.8%), chicken with 52 cases (19.6%), beef with 47 cases (17.7%), duck meat with 46 cases (17.4%), and goat meat with 4 cases (1.5%), in that order.

The number of violating businesses increased by 45 (21.5%) compared to last year. In particular, duck meat cases surged significantly from 9 last year to 46.

The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service filed criminal charges against 144 businesses that sold Chinese duck meat as domestic products among the violators. For the 110 businesses caught for missing labeling, a fine of 39 million KRW was imposed.

Park Seong-woo, Director of the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, stated, "We plan to continuously manage the origin labeling of livestock products whose imports and consumption are increasing, and in the upcoming September, we also plan to conduct origin labeling inspections on Chuseok seasonal products."