"They're Going Into Children's Mouths"...Dubai Cookies Spark Hygiene Emergency

Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Member Kang Jeongil Criticizes Hygiene Blind Spots
Director General Ahn Sanghyeon: "Strong Crackdowns in Cooperation with the MFDS"

The so-called 'Dubai Chewy Cookies (Dujjonku)', which have recently become explosively popular among elementary, middle, and high school students, are being illegally distributed around schools, raising serious concerns over hygiene management.

On February 2, at the 396th extraordinary session of the Jeonnam Provincial Council during the safety and construction and fire services committee’s work report by the Provincial Civil Safety Office, Kang Jeongil, a member of the Jeonnam Provincial Council (Democratic Party of Korea, Gwangyang District 2), pointed out this issue and urged strong crackdowns by the Jeonnam Provincial Special Judicial Police.

Kang Jeongil, member of the Jeonnam Provincial Assembly

Assemblyman Kang criticized the situation, saying, "Recently, taking advantage of the 'Dujjonku' craze, products are being indiscriminately sold at stationery stores and claw machine arcades that have not even registered as food retailers," and added, "Products that are made in places without proper cooking facilities, or whose distribution routes are unclear, are seriously threatening students' right to health."

He particularly noted that most of the main ingredients of the product, such as kadaif and pistachios, depend on imports. Assemblyman Kang said, "There are concerns about cases that cleverly evade legal regulations, such as failure to indicate the country of origin or omission of expiration dates," and called for thorough inspections.

He went on to say, "Since the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has announced a nationwide crackdown, the Jeonnam Provincial Special Judicial Police should also focus its administrative capacity," and requested, "Please work to ensure food safety through preemptive, planned investigations tailored to the characteristics of the Jeonnam region."

In response, Ahn Sanghyeon, Director General of the Provincial Civil Safety Office, said, "We are fully aware of the popularity of this product and the hygiene concerns," and added, "To ensure that residents can feel safe, we will not only strengthen crackdowns by the Special Judicial Police, but also work closely with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and each local government to ensure thorough safety management."