"No Issues Found Regarding Safety"
The Born Korea, led by CEO Baek Jong-won, stated that although they complied with the standards regarding allegations of violating the Food Sanitation Act, they will thoroughly review all aspects and make improvements.
In a statement on the 16th, The Born Korea said regarding the allegations of violating the Food Sanitation Act, "We complied with the law," but also added, "We plan to carefully review all details again and make improvements." Regarding the spraying of apple juice with a pesticide sprayer, The Born Korea explained, "We confirmed that there are no current legal regulations on this matter, but after consulting with the relevant department, we received guidance recommending avoiding its use as much as possible, so we will not use it."
Regarding the barbecue grill, they stated, "It is made of POSCO's 'stainless steel 304' material, and we confirmed that there are no issues concerning food safety. At the festival site, promotional materials about the 'completion of safety inspection' were posted to inform consumers."
Recently, claims have been raised mainly on online communities that The Born Korea used tools not suitable for food at the 2023 Hongseong Global Barbecue Festival in November. In a video of the festival available on CEO Baek’s YouTube channel, a person presumed to be a The Born Korea employee sprayed apple juice with a pesticide sprayer. There were also claims that the barbecue grill appeared to be construction site materials.
It has recently come to light that Baek Jong-won, CEO of The Born Korea, suggested using a pesticide sprayer to apply sauce while grilling meat, sparking controversy. Screenshot from the YouTube channel 'Baek Jong-won'
Controversies surrounding CEO Baek and The Born Korea have been ongoing recently. Earlier, the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service detected signs that The Born Korea falsely labeled the origin of agricultural processed products such as soy sauce and soybean paste, and filed a criminal case for origin labeling violations. The origin was properly labeled on the product containers, but the agricultural management agency explained that foreign ingredients were labeled as domestic on online shopping malls. Additionally, the 'Baek Ham Gift Set' released during the Lunar New Year holiday received criticism from consumers for having a lower pork content than competing products despite a higher price. Furthermore, the tangerine beer 'Gamgyul Oreum' introduced by Yeondon Bolkatsu, a brand affiliated with The Born Korea, was also criticized for having a very low juice content. The use of LPG gas cylinders indoors was also a subject of controversy.
CEO Baek stated on the company’s website, "We deeply reflect on the unacceptable mistakes that occurred during the production and distribution processes," and promised, "We will promptly improve all matters, including legal issues."
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