Hygiene Matters More Than Price... Value-for-Money Coffee Shops Rank High in Food Violations

Violation of Food Sanitation Act Increases 2.5 Times Compared to 2020
"Thorough Hygiene Management and Supervision Needed"

Stock photo of a budget coffee shop located in a building near Gwanghwamun Station, Jongno-gu, Seoul [Source=Yonhap News]

As low-priced copycat brands boasting affordable prices are rapidly growing amid soaring prices, cases of violations of the Food Sanitation Act are increasing, requiring consumers to be cautious.

According to data on 'Violations of the Food Sanitation Act by Coffee Franchises' submitted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to Park Heeseung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 20th, the number of Food Sanitation Act violations among the top 10 coffee franchises last year was 188 cases, about 2.5 times higher than in 2020 (76 cases).

Looking at the average violation rate relative to the number of stores by brand over the past six years (2019 to the end of June 2024), Compose Coffee and The Venti ranked 1.3%, Mega Coffee 1.2%, Hasamdong Coffee 1.1%, and Twosome Place and Hollys 1.0%. Starbucks (0.2%), Ediya Coffee, and Pascucci (0.3%) showed relatively low rates below 1%.

The number of violations by brand was highest for Mega Coffee (138 cases), followed by Compose Coffee (135 cases), Twosome Place (84 cases), The Venti (69 cases), and Paik’s Coffee (62 cases). Additionally, an analysis of violation types during the same period showed that among a total of 634 violations, failure to complete hygiene education accounted for the largest share with 287 cases (45.3%). Violations of standards and specifications accounted for 151 cases (23.8%), failure to report business changes 50 cases (7.9%), violations of hygienic handling standards 49 cases (7.7%), and failure to conduct health examinations 36 cases (5.7%).

Rep. Park emphasized, "Ice or cold beverages are mostly non-heated foods, and in summer, infection by bacteria or viruses can cause enteritis or food poisoning," adding, "Since coffee is a popular preference food and a highly consumed product in summer, thorough hygiene management and supervision are necessary."