Siheung to Conduct Intensive Inspections of Egg-Serving Restaurants to Prevent Food Poisoning

Intensive Inspections of Establishments Serving Simple Meals Such as Gimbap, Toast, and Rolled Omelets

On July 18, the city of Siheung in Gyeonggi Province announced that it will conduct intensive hygiene inspections from July 22 to 25 at restaurants that use eggs as a main ingredient, in order to prevent the recent series of Salmonella food poisoning cases.

This inspection will focus on establishments that prepare and sell simple meals such as gimbap, toast, and rolled omelets. The city will pay particular attention to the hygienic handling and storage conditions of eggs during the inspection process.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, out of 166 Salmonella food poisoning cases that occurred in Korea over the past five years from 2020 to last year, 88 cases, or 53%, were related to eggs.

The main items to be inspected include: ▲ whether cracked or contaminated eggs are used ▲ the refrigeration status of washed eggs ▲ the adequacy of refrigeration or freezing for processed egg products (liquid eggs) ▲ hygienic management of cooking utensils and measures to prevent cross-contamination.

Depending on the inspection results, minor violations will be corrected on site immediately. Along with the inspection, the city will also provide food poisoning prevention education to restaurant staff.

Choi Minseok, head of the Hygiene Department of Siheung, said, "Eggs are a high-risk ingredient that require strict hygiene management before and after cooking, especially in the summer, so even more thorough control is necessary. We will do our best to raise the hygiene standards of restaurants so that citizens can dine out with peace of mind."