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[66] 2012.02.10
Need to take care of and pay attention to the foods within expiration date.




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Press Release

 
 
 
 
Effecitive Date   : Feb. 10, 2012
Dept. in Charge

  : Secretary General Choi Su-gyeong                                    Team leader Jo June-ha

 

 

Tel   : +82-02-770-4050
 
 
 
 

Need to take care of and pay attention to the foods within expiration date.

- 345 cases of spoiled foods within expiration date reported in 2011 -

 

 

 

The Korea National Council of Consumer Organizations (KNCCO) (President Kim Jae-ok) has analyzed the cases of counseling in 2011 concerned with the expiration date of foods. A total of 775 cases concerned with the expiration date of foods were reported, and among them, 345 cases were about the foods that spoiled even though the expiration date had not passed.

1. Among the 775 total cases concerned with the expiration date of foods, 345 cases were about the foods that spoiled even though the expiration date had not passed, 64 cases were about the absence of the expiration date, and 366 cases were about the sale of the products of which the expiration date has already passed.

     The most reported cases were during the summer months of July and August: 46 and 44 respectively. However, there were also 42 cases and 28 cases reported during the winter months of November and December respectively. Thus it is required to pay close attention to the safety of foods even during the winter season.

 

[Table 1] Cases reported in each month of 2011 about the spoiling of foods within expiration date

Month

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Total

No. of cases

21

17

20

24

18

27

46

44

43

15

42

28

345

 

Among the food items, milk was reported the most with 57 cases, followed by beverages (22 cases), bread (21 cases), and cookies (16 cases). It was analyzed that liquid items such as milk and beverage spoil easily.

 

[Table 2] Number of cases of spoiling within expiration date reported in 2011 per item

Item

No. of Cases

milk

67

beverage

32

bread

31

cookie

26

ice cream

24

grainery

22

ham & sausage

21

coffee

21

Noodle in plastic bag

20

healthy food

17

 

2. Regarding this matter, Korea Consumer Agency has recently suggested to divide the expiration date into 'best before' period and 'use by' period system as an alternative for the current expiration date marking system, which is an extension of the expiration date. However, as there are many cases reported about the safety of foods even under the current expiration date marking system, it is necessary to take a more careful approach.

     The environment of refrigeration or freezing in the distributing companies in Korea may be different from the experiment environment at the Korea Consumer Agency, thus if the expiration date marking system is revised by generalizing the results of the experiment of the Korea Consumer Agency, it may cause serious harm and damage to consumers' health.

     In relation to the suggestion of Korea Consumer Agency, KNCCO calls for the concerned government agencies to take a careful and long-term approach with the revision of the expiration date marking system, and will discuss the methods more thoroughly, manage and supervise the manufacturer overtly, and transport and store foods before the revision of the expiration date marking system.

 

 

 

 

 

< Group Members >

Consumers Korea, Korea Consumer Education Center, YMCA Korea, YWCA Korea, Headquarters of Korean Wives, Consumers Union of Korea, Green Consumer Network, Korean Federation of Housewives Clubs, National Council of Homemakers' Classes, Korea Consumer Affairs Institute



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