By Kim Jae-heun
The authorities will conduct health and safety checks of seafood buffet chains across the country after it was found that one such chain, Todai Korea, reused raw fish.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Monday it would check on how seafood chains display food and preserves at their buffet restaurants. It also promised to provide new guidelines by next month to strengthen food safety.
The move came after a local broadcaster reported Sunday that Todai Korea's store in Pyeongchon, Gyeonggi Province, used leftover sushi to make rolls and fried dishes.
The seafood chain initially said they did not use leftovers which customers did not finish, but reused food that was displayed and was not taken by customers at the buffet restaurants, saying it was not illegal according to the relevant law.
However, the company official apologized later following criticism from customers, saying this practice was not proper.
The CEO and Chairman of Todai, Hans Kim, also said Tuesday he would supervise the chain's store in Pyeongchon in person and promised to stop any similar incident from recurring.
“We will have independent civic groups scrutinize the food we serve as soon as possible,” Kim said in a statement.
The Food Sanitation Act prohibits reusing food that has been seasoned or peeled. It also bans restaurants from reusing food touched by customers. Restaurant operators can face up to a 15 day suspension of operation, up to three years in prison or a maximum 30 million fine.
The ministry said the Todai Korea case did not violate the act, although it upset customers.
“If Todai has reused the food obeying the sanitation regulation, it is difficult to say it has violated the law,” said an official. “However, I can see why customers were worried about it.”
The local government in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, conducted its own inspection of the seafood chain in the region, Monday.
“According to the news, Todai kept leftover crab in the freezer, which had already been defrosted once, and offered them to customers again. There could be a chance of food poisoning bacteria contamination during the process. If we find any problem, we will punish the chain and strengthen relevant regulations,” an Anyang official said.