In South Korea there is a crackdown on food fraud..But the recent crackdown and follow-up action from the Seoul district police after uncovering counterfeit rice seasoning powder raises questions of whether the police know the basic rules on dealing with a food fraud case.
The seasoning was called furikake. It is meant to be sprinkled on top of rice. It typically consists of a mixture of dried and ground fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate
The police recently announced they discovered manufacturers selling a furikake made from cheap and nasty ingredients. The seasoning powder mix had ground vegetable waste used as livestock feed as well as cigarette butts. The the police neither revealed the names of the companies nor made them recall the questionable products claiming that the food companies were also victims of the counterfeiters. Consumers and retailers panicked. Some retailers removed all rice seasoning brands from their shelves. Many innocent food companies were hit with losses.
Police have been aggressive in their crackdown on the food industry after President Park Geun-hye named food fraud as one of four so-called social evils. They reported counterfeited oil, snacks and eggs but did not follow up with announcements naming the brands, describing how hazardous they were or what happened to the questionable products. The investigations and crackdown did nothing to raise confidence in food safety, but only aggravated distrust and confusion in the market.
There is a definite need for better food safety laws.
Source Korea JoonGang Daily
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