The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency announced on September 8 that, in preparation for Chuseok-a peak season for the consumption of beef and pork-it will conduct a special hygiene inspection of slaughterhouses handling relevant mammals and poultry to ensure the safety of livestock products. This inspection will continue until September 30.
The special inspection will involve 32 officials from the agency, organized into 16 teams, who will conduct unannounced and focused checks at 24 slaughterhouses that were not inspected for hygiene last year. The main inspection items include the hygienic slaughtering and processing of livestock, the personal hygiene status of employees, compliance with operator obligations, the adequacy of slaughterhouse facilities, and the sanitary management of meat and by-products.
Slaughterhouses found to be in violation as a result of the inspection will be subject to immediate action in accordance with the Livestock Products Sanitation Control Act, which may include imprisonment for up to 10 years, fines of up to 100 million won, or administrative fines of up to 10 million won.
Lee Dongshik, Director of the Animal Disease Control Division at the Mobile Quarantine Headquarters, stated, "We will continue to conduct hygiene inspections of livestock product workplaces during holidays and other periods of increased consumption to ensure that consumers can purchase livestock products with confidence."
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