50 Million Won Reward Offered For Substandard Food Offence Reports

Starting in August, a reward of 50 million won will be given to those who report a substandard food offence.

On June 22, the Regulation office of state affairs and the Ministry of Health and Welfare will revise the enforcement regulations of the Food Sanitation Act based on the proceedings of a State Council meeting on the subject and report proposed countermeasures for food safety to President Roh Moo-hyun.

Currently the maximum reward for reporting a substandard food offence is 300,000 won.

Also, the countermeasure will adopt a lower limit system in the amount of penalty regarding food offences, sentencing one month’s imprisonment to those circulating dangerous food with a clear intention to do so, and three month’s imprisonment to those who do enormous harm to the people’s health.

In addition, a redemption system of fraudulent gains will be adopted for production as well as circulation of substandard food, redeeming the amount equivalent to 10 percent of the total sale of substandard food to the national treasury.

The current penalty of imprisonment of 7 years or less applied to food offences will be increased to imprisonment of 10 years or less.

The government will prepare more severe regulation countermeasures, such as immediately stopping the production and circulation of substandard food when it is discovered. It will also revive the quality of the food self-inspection system as well as the sanitation control manager appointment system that were abolished for the purpose of alleviating regulations.

Young-Hae Choi yhchoi65@donga.com