Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs-Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Strengthen Cooperation to Supply Safe Kimchi Ingredients

Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) Song Mee-ryeong and Commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) Oh Yoo-kyung visited Hanul Co., Ltd., an agricultural corporation located in Cheongyang-gun, South Chungcheong Province, on November 13 to inspect the safety management status of kimchi ingredients as the kimchi-making season approaches.

This inspection was conducted as part of the strategic personnel exchange collaboration project of ‘Strengthening Agricultural Product Safety Management’ between the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and was designed to inspect the hygiene and safety of kimchi ingredients, such as pickled cabbage, supplied to households and food service establishments.

Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mei-ling said on-site, “There is sufficient supply of kimchi ingredients such as cabbage, radish, and red pepper powder,” and “Vegetable prices are showing stability, but we will manage the situation so that people can consume kimchi ingredients with confidence by further lowering the prices perceived by consumers through discount support and strengthening pesticide residue testing and crackdowns on false labeling of origin.”

As the kimchi season begins, the main ingredients, cabbage and radish, are expanding their shipping areas and increasing their shipment volume, leading to a decline in wholesale and retail prices. Secondary ingredients, such as red pepper powder, garlic, onion, and green onion, are also maintaining prices similar to or lower than average due to increased production or increased imports.

Cabbage wholesale price (won/head): (Early October) 8,299 won → (November 11) 2,757 won
Radish wholesale price (won/unit): (Early October) 2,422 won → (November 11) 1,580 won
Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Commissioner Oh Yu-kyung said, “I would like to thank those who are working hard in the field to safely produce and supply kimchi, which is closely related to the people’s diet,” and added, “In order to manage the safety of kimchi, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety collects kimchi ingredients such as cabbage, radishes, and raw oysters that are being distributed and sold and tests them for residual pesticides and heavy metals, and is intensively inspecting establishments that manufacture and sell pickled cabbage and kimchi filling.”

In addition, Director Oh said, “Please actively utilize the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s ‘Cabbage Kimchi Manufacturing Guidelines for Proper HACCP Management’ which was prepared to be a reference for controlling and reducing food poisoning bacteria in kimchi manufacturing sites, and thoroughly manage it so that the public can purchase kimchi with confidence.”

Kim Chi-eun, the president of the Korea Kimchi Association, who also visited the site, emphasized, “Demand for kimchi at home is decreasing, but demand for packaged kimchi is steadily increasing,” and “All member companies, including Hanul Co., Ltd., are securing sufficient kimchi raw materials such as cabbage to supply the amount consumers want, and are also doing their utmost to manage quality and hygiene, so please order with confidence.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety are currently pursuing a total of three collaborative projects through a section chief-level personnel exchange in February of this year to strengthen inter-ministerial cooperation, and are achieving the desired results through this.

Editor. Hong Se-yeong