Friday June 11, 8:02 PM
South Korea cracks down on "garbage dumplings"
South Koreans were shunning dumplings Friday after a government investigation revealed that at least 12 food companies had been selling dumplings made with rotten ingredients.
Seoul's Food and Drug Administration announced on Thursday that 12 companies had been using rotten radishes in their frozen dumplings from last year to this February, and ordered the dumplings pulled off the shelves.
The government has so far confiscated 20 tons of what the local press dubbed "garbage dumplings," while food makers retrieved and destroyed about 54 tons.
There have been no reports of illness from the dumplings. Still, department stores told local media that dumpling sales had plummeted by up to 90 percent after the announcement.
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on Thursday banned imports of dumplings from South Korea, and local exporters feared other countries might follow suit.
Japan imported 864 tons of frozen dumplings from South Korea in 2003, and 437 tons so far this year.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, South Korea exports US$5 million worth of dumplings annually. The United States imported US$2.6 million worth, followed by Japan with US$880,000, Australia with US$640,000, Hong Kong at US$370,000 and Germany with US$350,000.
It was unclear how many "garbage dumplings" have been distributed at home or abroad.
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