99.6% of Kimchi-Making Ingredients and Supplies in Gyeonggi Region Are 'Safe'

Kimchi-making ingredients and supplies distributed within Gyeonggi Province were found to be safe.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Institute of Health and Environment announced on the 15th that from October 14 to November 8, they tested a total of 242 items from 24 locations including public agricultural wholesale markets and large supermarkets. The items tested included ▲162 cases of agricultural and marine products such as baechu (napa cabbage), ▲50 cases of processed foods such as fish sauce, and ▲30 cases of containers and cooking utensils such as kimchi containers. The tests checked for residual pesticides, radioactive substances, and residual and elution standards, with 99.6% of the items found to be compliant except for one case.

Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment is collecting kimchi-making ingredients to test for residual pesticides. Photo by Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment

The test results showed that one case of carrot contained metconazole, a fungicide component, at 0.07 mg/kg, exceeding the standard limit of 0.05 mg/kg.

The Provincial Institute of Health and Environment notified the relevant authorities of this fact and requested administrative action from the competent city and county offices. The remaining 241 cases were safe and below the standard limits.

A representative from the Provincial Institute of Health and Environment stated, "We will ensure food safety through continuous inspections so that residents can prepare for the kimchi-making season with peace of mind."