Online supermarkets rapidly increasing... Country of origin labeling of agricultural and fishery products to be inspected ahead of mid-autumn celebration (Chuseok, mid-autumn festival)

The government is launching mass inspections of the country of origin and safety of agricultural and fishery products as online transactions increase ahead of the mid-autumn celebration.
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Ministry of Food and Drugs
The Ministry of Food and Rural Affairs said it will carry out simultaneous inspections of the origin labeling and safety of agricultural and marine products from the 19th of this month to the 13th of next month.
The transaction amount for the two-way trade rose sharply from 6.5612 trillion won in 2020 to 10.8489 trillion won last year.
The inspections are carried out for violations of the country of origin labeling for industrial products, or violations of the appropriate standards for pesticide residues, heavy metals, etc. In preparation for the mid-autumn celebrations, traditional markets, marts, and restaurants in major agricultural producing areas
The company will focus on labeling the origins of and complying with safety standards for △ meat (beef, pork, chicken), △ fruits, △ namul, △ mushrooms, △ squid, △ corvina, △ abalone, etc., which are in high demand as gifts or offerings for special holidays.
Regarding the origin labeling of agricultural and fishery products sold online and offline, the enforcement team and the honorary monitoring team (consumer group) will jointly visit the site and check the origin in real time.
The country of origin labeling will be checked through online monitoring. When violations are discovered, criminal punishment (false labeling, imprisonment for up to seven years or a fine of up to 100 million won) or fines will be imposed (non-labeling, violation of labeling method,
In addition, food hygiene inspectors will collect information directly from the online platform about the safety of agricultural and fishery products, and check for residual pesticides, animal products, etc.
They will be inspected for pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, etc. Agricultural and marine products that are found to be non-compliant will be banned from sale, recalled and disposed of, and criminal punishment will be imposed.
The government will "strictly manage the country of origin labeling, strengthen collection and inspection, and establish a distribution system where Korean agricultural and marine products can be purchased with confidence."
"We will do our best to cooperate with consumer groups and related industries to create an environment that is friendly and safe for food consumption."