Cigarette Butt Found in Chinese Frozen Seafood Mix
"Importer Says to Contact the Retailer"
Amid frequent concerns over the hygiene of foods manufactured in China, a report has confirmed the discovery of a cigarette butt in a frozen seafood mix.
On November 3, a post titled "A cigarette butt was found in a frozen seafood mix" was uploaded to an online community. The accompanying photo showed an object resembling a cigarette filter embedded in ice, with the center of the cut end appearing blackened.
The person who reported the incident stated, "The day before, I made stew with the frozen seafood mix. The next morning, my family ate it before leaving, and while eating, we found something unusually tough and with a strange texture. When I took it out of my mouth and rinsed it with water, it had a strong nicotine smell."
They continued, "When I called the importer, they responded insincerely and told me to ask the retailer. I want to report this to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, but since this is a small business import product and not from a major corporation, it is difficult to find the product item number," they complained.
The product in which the cigarette butt was allegedly found is sourced entirely from China and contains a mix of squid, mussels, clam meat, and shrimp meat.
If consumers discover foreign substances in adulterated or defective foods, they can report it to the Integrated Reporting Center at 1399. A postal worker from a nearby post office will visit, collect the product, and deliver it to the Food Safety Information Agency for investigation. The results of the investigation are typically sent to the reporter via text message within about 15 days, and administrative measures, fines, or prosecution may follow.
Meanwhile, on October 27, a worker at a Chinese pickled food factory was caught smoking and even spitting while on the job, prompting an investigation by the relevant authorities. The factory, known for producing "Xuan Cai"-a pickled product made by salting and seasoning vegetables like cabbage and mustard greens-has not been confirmed as an exporter to Korea.
According to the Market Supervision Administration of Xingcheng, Liaoning Province, China, an immediate investigation and crackdown were conducted on the night of October 26 in response to the issues raised online. All products in question were reportedly collected and destroyed.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
