This article was displayed on the ChosunBiz RM Report website at 5:21 a.m. on Jul. 31, 2026.
The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety is pushing to make self-quality testing for salmonella in eggs mandatory. It recently recalled eggs in which salmonella was detected and expanded inspections of egg product manufacturers, edible egg distribution and sales businesses, and restaurants that sell naengmyeon, kimbap, toast, and other items.
The authority is moving away from post-incident management that recalls products after a food poisoning case, broadening salmonella controls from pre-distribution testing of eggs to restaurant cooking processes.
According to the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety on the 31st, the "2026 Food and Drug Safety 60 Tasks" includes a plan to mandate salmonella testing in the egg self-quality inspection items. On Jul. 2, at Osco in Osong-eup, Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety held a public briefing with about 150 members of the public and representatives from industry and academia, unveiling 60 tasks aimed at improving safety in daily life and reducing regulatory burdens on corporations.
Salmonella is a pathogenic bacterium found in the digestive tracts of poultry and mammals, as well as in water and soil. Consuming eggs or meat contaminated with salmonella can cause symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety is pursuing a plan to include salmonella testing in the self-quality inspections of eggs conducted by edible egg collection and sales businesses and edible egg grading and packing businesses. Edible egg collection and sales businesses specialize in collecting and processing or purchasing and selling eggs, while edible egg grading and packing businesses sort, wash, dry, sterilize, candle, and pack eggs.
On the 22nd of last month, the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety gave advance notice of legislation for a partial amendment to the "Regulations on Self-Quality Inspection of Livestock Products," which includes these measures. The amendment adds salmonella to the list of egg self-quality inspection items and newly sets the items and frequency of inspections for edible egg grading and packing businesses that sell eggs they have directly collected and graded. Public comment ended on the 21st, and the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety plans to revise the relevant regulations and implement them by December.
If self-quality inspections become mandatory, operators must directly check for salmonella contamination before distributing eggs to the market. While the central and local governments already collect eggs at the distribution stage to test for salmonella and other pathogens, mandating the test would shift management from recalling contaminated products after problems arise to preventive control that identifies potential hazards at the shipment stage.
The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety is tightening egg safety management because salmonella detections and food poisoning incidents have continued in the summer. On the 28th, the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety said salmonella enteritidis, a food poisoning bacterium, was detected in "Deogam Large Eggs" sold by Deogam Farm, an edible egg collection and sales business in Gochang County, North Jeolla Province, and it would halt sales and recall the product. The recall targets products with a use-by date through the 20th of next month. The recall volume is 909 trays, a total of 27,270 eggs.
Inspections are also underway for the distribution and sales stages of edible eggs. From the 29th of last month through Nov. 27, the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety and local governments are checking hygiene conditions at about 1,600 edible egg grading and packing businesses and edible egg collection and sales businesses.
According to the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety, from 2020 to 2024 there were 204 salmonella food poisoning cases nationwide, with 7,788 patients. Of these, 107 cases occurred from July to September, accounting for about 52% of the total. "Violating businesses will face immediate administrative action, and nonconforming products will be promptly recalled and discarded," the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety said, adding, "We will continue to strengthen inspections of hygiene-vulnerable areas and high-consumption livestock products so our people can consume safe livestock products."
◇ Prevent food poisoning by washing hands and heating thoroughly
Restaurants were the most common sites of salmonella food poisoning with 129 cases, or 63% of the total, followed by group catering facilities with 35 cases (17%) and on-site sales manufacturing and processing businesses with 10 cases (5%). Major culprit foods included egg dishes such as rolled omelets and egg crepes, and complex dishes that use multiple ingredients such as kimbap and lunch boxes.
The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety advised, "When buying eggs, choose fresh products with intact shells and check the laying date and use-by date indicated on the shell." Eggs purchased should be placed in the refrigerator immediately and stored separately to avoid contact with other ingredients.
At home, it is recommended to store eggs unwashed rather than washing them separately before refrigeration. Restaurants and group catering facilities should take care not to purchase eggs in bulk and leave them at room temperature for long periods.
Hands that have touched eggs or meat and poultry, or have egg liquid on them, should be washed for at least 30 seconds under running water using soap or another detergent. Do not touch other ingredients, cooked foods, or cooking utensils with hands that have handled eggs.
Because salmonella is vulnerable to heat, thorough heating can prevent food poisoning. The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety recommended not eating meat, poultry, or eggs raw and heating them to a core temperature of 75℃ for at least 1 minute.