Food Safety Authority Inspects Unmanned Stores, Finds Expired Snacks

In a recent inspection conducted from November 11 to 15, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (식품의약품안전처) and the Seongdong District Office discovered snacks that had expired eight months prior at an unmanned ice cream and snack store in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. The store, identified as A, was found in violation of food hygiene laws. The expiration date on the snacks indicated they were safe for consumption until March 2024, but their presence on the shelves posed a health risk to consumers who might not check the dates before purchasing.

The nationwide inspection covered a total of 5,899 establishments, including chicken and mala tang delivery restaurants, as well as unmanned stores selling ice cream, snacks, and ramen. Out of these, 30 locations (0.5%) were flagged for violations. Among the chicken and mala tang restaurants, 16 out of 4,788 were cited for issues such as failure to conduct health checks (9), violations of hygienic handling standards (5), facility standard violations (1), and unreported changes in business area (1).

In the unmanned stores, 14 out of 1,111 were found in violation, with 13 displaying or storing expired products. Notably, a store in Gangdong-gu, identified as B, had 20 pieces of candy that were five months past their expiration date.

Since 2021, the Ministry has been conducting quarterly inspections of food items that are seeing increased market growth. Last year, the focus was on delivery restaurants serving mala tang, lamb skewers, and salads. This year marks the first time unmanned cafes, meal kits, and ice cream shops have been included in the inspection targets.