▲ Korea Consumer Agency
A recent investigation has highlighted the need for stricter safety management of imported snacks popular among children, after bacteria were detected in some mala-flavored konjac products.
The Korea Consumer Agency announced the results of its quality and safety inspection on Tuesday (June 9), covering 20 imported snack products, including mala-flavored snacks and candies, sold at unmanned stores near elementary schools.
Among the mala-flavored snacks, bacterial growth was confirmed in one product, "Xianglawei Shredded Konjac."
The Korea Consumer Agency has recommended that the importer stop sales and provide refunds to consumers; there is currently no remaining stock in circulation.
Some units of the "ASMR Crunchy Earth-Shaped Freeze-Dried Jelly" were found to be excessively hard, raising concerns about potential dental damage to children.
Mala-flavored snacks are food products that use oils such as soybean oil, which poses a risk of rancidity if manufacturing, storage, and distribution processes are inadequate.
However, most of these products were not subject to rancidity management standards.
In response, the Korea Consumer Agency has advised importers to manage product quality in accordance with standards for oil-processed foods and plans to request that relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, strengthen safety monitoring for these product categories.
Among the mala-flavored snacks, the "Geumdaeju Xiangla Enoki Mushroom" and "Chapssal Latio" products were found to have high sodium content, with just two bags reaching the daily adequate intake level for sodium (1,300 mg) for children aged 9 to 11.
As for the candy products, one bag of "Gudeok Jelly Blueberry Flavor" contained a high calorie count of 642 kcal.
Its sugar content (55 g) also exceeded the daily added sugar intake guideline for children aged 9 to 11 (45 g).
The Korea Consumer Agency plans to request that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety strengthen safety monitoring for new types of imported snacks, such as mala-flavored products.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.