[Exclusive] "No More Cover-Ups of Food Incidents"... MFDS to Promote Reporting via KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk to Be Added as a Reporting Channel for Substandard and Fraudulent Food Products
Government to Overhaul Current Reporting System for Faster and More Accurate Responses

In the future, it is expected that reports of substandard food products will be possible through KakaoTalk, the "national messenger." In response to criticisms that the current system for prompt and accurate reporting and processing is inadequate?such as food companies paying consolation money to block reports of foreign substances and other consumer complaints?the government is set to revamp the reporting system.

On the 4th, according to comprehensive coverage by this publication, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) recently reported to Kim Mi-ae, a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee from the People Power Party, about the operation plan for the "1399 Integrated Reporting Center for Substandard and Fraudulent Food."

Currently, when consumers report substandard or fraudulent food products by calling "1399," professional counselors receive the reports and forward them to local governments for investigation, after which the results are communicated back.

[Data provided by Kim Mi-ae, member of the People Power Party]

The MFDS plans to add a KakaoTalk reporting feature and open a reporting banner on the Food Safety Korea website. Additionally, it will improve the search function for the reporting site on internet portals to enhance consumer accessibility.

This move comes amid criticism that some food companies and franchise restaurants have been more focused on preventing the spread of controversies rather than improving their products when issues such as foreign substance contamination arise. It has also been common for companies to offer small rewards to delete posts on social networking services (SNS). Last month, when a report about foreign substances found in chicken breast from the chicken-specialized company Harim was posted on X (formerly Twitter), the post’s author was given a gift certificate worth about 50,000 won. The post has since been removed, and neither party reported the incident to the MFDS.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the consumption of delivery food has surged, and reports of substandard and fraudulent food products have sharply increased. The number of reports rose from 16,367 in 2020 to 24,328 last year, an increase of about 50%. However, the number of administrative actions has steadily decreased, while cases where consumers cancel reports or are found to have no grounds have surged. Accordingly, the MFDS plans to add phone guidance messages and pop-up windows warning about possible penalties for false reports, and strengthen its capacity to respond to black consumers through education and publicity for business operators.

The MFDS will also enhance training for food hygiene inspectors to ensure thorough on-site inspections such as hygiene checks for complaints made through 1399, and will continue to support foreign substance analysis projects to facilitate smooth investigations into the causes of contamination. An MFDS official stated, "We will improve policies to increase reporting accessibility and prevent false reports," adding, "We plan to build a reporting system that both consumers and business operators can trust."