Jeonbuk Province Promotes "Safety Management" of Distributed Seafood to Prevent Food Poisoning

Promotion of Guidelines for Preventing Vibrio Sepsis

Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province will conduct intensive safety management of distributed seafood in cooperation with 14 cities and counties within the province, as well as related organizations, until September 30, in order to prevent seafood-related food poisoning caused by high water temperatures during the summer.

Vibrio Sepsis Prevention Guidelines Poster. Provided by Jeonbuk Province

According to the province on July 1, this inspection will focus on seafood wholesale markets and distribution and sales businesses within the province. The main focus will be on checking whether hygiene and storage standards for seafood are being observed, and whether handlers are complying with personal hygiene practices and other hygiene regulations.

In particular, during the special management period in July and August, the province will work jointly with the Gwangju Regional Food and Drug Administration to collect water samples directly from aquariums at major sashimi restaurants and seafood markets near ports and harbors that attract many tourists in the summer. On-site inspections for Vibrio bacteria will be conducted using a "food poisoning inspection vehicle."

In addition, the province plans to conduct safety inspections for residues of heavy metals and veterinary drugs in major seafood products that are heavily consumed in summer, such as flatfish, in order to preemptively block the distribution of harmful seafood.

The province will also intensively promote prevention guidelines to seafood business operators and consumers, as the risk of Vibrio sepsis bacteria proliferation increases when seawater temperatures rise above 18 degrees Celsius.

The promotional content includes safety guidelines such as rinsing seafood thoroughly 2 to 3 times under running tap water, disinfecting used cooking utensils, and strictly separating knives and cutting boards used for sashimi preparation.

Hwang Cheolho, Director of the Welfare, Women, and Health Bureau, said, "Since the risk of food poisoning that can threaten residents' health increases during the summer, the province will mobilize all its resources for proactive seafood safety management. We will do our utmost to create a hygienic and safe distribution environment so that residents can consume seafood with peace of mind."