Premium Salt Priced at 20,000 Won Found to Contain Carcinogen... Product Recalled

Disgrace for a Traditional French Salt Brand
Emergency Recall Ordered by Food and Drug Safety Ministry... Consumers Urged to Return Products

French Gu?rande seaweed salt, praised as a must-have for gourmets and even dubbed the "caviar of salt," has been found to contain arsenic, a Group 1 carcinogen, at levels five times higher than the legal limit, causing shock. The product is currently being urgently recalled in Korea.

Arsenic, previously used as a poison, was detected above the standard limit in imported seaweed salt (processed salt), leading the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to order a sales suspension. Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

On July 30, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that the "Gu?rande Seaweed Salt (Processed Salt, 250g)" manufactured by SAS BOURDIC in France was found to contain 2.5 mg/kg of arsenic, significantly exceeding the food safety standard of 0.5 mg/kg. The problematic product was manufactured on November 7, 2024, and is marked with the lot number "B24312."

Arsenic is a toxic heavy metal classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and can cause cancer. If accumulated in the body, it can lead to serious health problems in the liver, lungs, and skin, so strict regulations are in place for its permissible levels in food. The detected amount in this case is as much as five times the legal limit, raising grave concerns for consumer health.

Gu?rande is a region renowned for its traditional salt production, where artisans harvest sea salt by hand from tidal flats and process it into dozens of product varieties that are displayed in France's high-end grocery stores. Salt production is only possible for three to four months during the favorable summer climate, and the salt's rich umami and seaweed aroma have made it beloved by chefs and gourmets worldwide.

Gu?rande seaweed salt is a premium salt made by mixing seaweed into traditionally produced sea salt from the village of Gu?rande in the Brittany region of France, and is often used in fish dishes. In Korea, the 250g product is sold as a high-end premium item, priced between 15,000 and 20,000 won.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated, "We have issued a prompt recall order for the affected product," and urged, "Consumers who possess this product should stop consuming it and return it to the place of purchase."

Currently, Korea has established and strictly manages permissible standards for seven types of heavy metals in food: lead, cadmium, arsenic, inorganic arsenic, mercury, methylmercury, and tin.