Rep. Won Hee-mok of the ruling Grand National Party Friday decided to submit a bill to the National Assembly obliging local administrations and public organizations to consult with the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) before making announcements on food safety issues.
Won said in a press release, “There have been past cases of inaccurate information about food safety causing problems for people in relevant industries. We need to have a top authority to confirm and screen safety issues beforehand.”
Won’s suggestion of the so-called octopus law comes days after Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and the KFDA engaged in heated debates over the safety of eating the bodies of small octopi, widely regarded as “food for the brain and stamina.” While the KFDA denounced a prior statement by the Seoul city government that octopus ink and intestines contain heavy metals such as cadmium, Oh publicly reaffirmed that it is best not to eat them.
Oh’s comment caused a stir in the fisheries and restaurant industries. Restaurateurs and fishermen suffered from a sharp drop in sales as more people shunned octopus due to possible harm to their health. Some even brought the seafood to City Hall in protest.
“The law will draw up guidelines for the examination of food safety, measures to be taken when two administrations’ examination results differ. It will also oblige the KFDA head to monitor local governments’ food safety management every year,” Won said.
The bill is much desired in the food industry.
In 1989, prosecutors said five instant noodle makers, including then market leader Samyang, used industrial beef tallow to fry the noodles instead of vegetable oil. It took several years for the Supreme Court to confirm that the companies, especially Samyang, were using safe edible beef tallow and cleared the foodmakers of charges. They have never recovered their lost sales.
In 2004, the National Police Agency said some dumpling makers used turnips that needed to be disposed of as filling. It was later verified by the KFDA that many dumpling makers were using the safe stalk part of the turnips and only few of the makers were using some unhygienic dried ones. But during the investigation, a dumpling maker killed himself to claim his innocence.
“It is important to deliver the exact information about the food because many people depend on it and it is a life-or-death issue. The law will put more responsibility and regulations on the local administration’s food policy,” Won said.
낙지머리
한나라당 원희목 의원은 각 지자체나 정부 공공기관이 음식물 안전에 대해 발표하기 전에 반드시 식약청과 협의를 거치도록 하는 법안을 발의할 계획이라고 금요일 말했다.
그는 보도자료에서 "부정확한 자료들로 인해 관계 산업에서 겪는 고통은 엄청나다. 사전검열을 통해 이러한 일이 없도록 할 것이다" 고 말했다.
원씨의 발의 계획은 최근 서울시장 오세훈과 식약청이 낙지머리를 둘러싸고 벌이고 있는 언쟁에서 비롯됐다. 서울시 산하기관에서 낙지머리에 카드뮴 등의 중금속이 있다고 발표한 것을 식약청이 뒤엎은 것에 대해 오시장은 그래도 낙지머리를 먹지 않는 것이 좋을 것이라고 공개적으로 확정한 것이다.
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