What`s Safe to Eat?

In a large discount mart in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, there were more people in the flour section than ever before.

“I didn’t give much credit to the snacks of food companies. Now I’ve decided to make cookies and bread at home by myself. But I wonder if this wheat flour is safe,” said housekeeper Jin Seo-hui (36). She read the ingredients on the packet carefully.

Store manager Kim Gyeong-tae (pseudonym) said, “Since mouse hair was recently found in a Saewookkang packet, the number of customers at the snack corner has dropped 40 percent. We are finding it difficult to assure consumers of food safety because there have been similar incidents among popular food products such as tuna cans and instant rice.”

In Korea, food safety is in a crisis. Accidents involving food are being reported everyday. Housekeepers fear going to markets as they worry that their children might get hurt.

An investigation revealed that a piece of a knife blade was found in a can of Dongwon Light Standard Tuna of Dongwon F&B. The blade is suspected of entering the can while repairs were being made at the plant facility. If this is true, it means that factory workers were extremely careless about food safety.

Research has also revealed that fumonisin, a carcinogenic mold toxin, was detected in corn and corn powder circulating in the domestic market. But since there is no standard regarding fumonisin in Korea, there was no regulation governing this substance.

Every time a food accident occurs, the authorities are criticized for responding late. The level of response is low as well. Authorities recall the products and issue a notice on what measures the public should take. When the head of a mouse was found in a Saewookkang packet, authorities only said it would enhance inspections of food plants in China.

Companies are not much better. In other countries when impurities are found in snacks, it can lead to that company’s bankruptcy. Therefore, companies in foreign countries are always on the alert regarding the quality and safety of food. But Korean companies try to cover up the incident and do not attempt to solve the problem. Dongwon F&B is criticized for trying to cover up the situation by sending a tuna can box gift set to the customer who found the piece of a knife’s blade in one of the company’s tuna can products.

“Food and beverage companies must report to health authorities when they find any concerns regarding harmful bacteria, but not when consumers complain. Health authorities should no longer delay measures to reinforce a system overseeing companies,” said food science professor Lee Min-seok of Korea University.

corekim@donga.com nuk@donga.com