The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety will conduct intensive inspections of hygiene management at convenience stores and unmanned food retail outlets frequently used by children and teenagers.
The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety said that from the 14th to the 18th, it will carry out hygiene inspections, together with 16 local governments, at about 3,600 convenience stores and unmanned food retail outlets that cook and sell items such as coffee and chicken. Businesses with no inspection history in the past three years or with violations of the Food Sanitation Act will be the focus of the inspections.
Key inspection items include: ▲ displaying or storing products past their consumption date ▲ hygiene management of cooking facilities ▲ compliance with temperature standards for refrigerated and frozen storage. Alongside the inspections, the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety will randomly collect a little over 100 food items cooked and sold at convenience stores to test for foodborne pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus, and Salmonella.
Earlier, in May, the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety inspected 4,648 locations, including convenience stores that cook and sell coffee and chicken and unmanned cafes, and uncovered 30 that stored products past their consumption date or failed to conduct health checkups.
An official at the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety said, "We will continue to strengthen safety management focusing on foods widely consumed by the public and will take strict action against violations."