SEOUL, South Korea – The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service (NAQS) has launched a rigorous crackdown on fraudulent origin labeling practices within the burgeoning online agricultural and livestock product market. From March 4th to 14th, NAQS will conduct intensive inspections to ensure accurate and transparent labeling on e-commerce platforms, delivery apps, and TV home shopping channels.

The initiative comes as a response to growing concerns about consumers being misled regarding the origin of their food, particularly in the rapidly expanding online food sector. This crackdown targets a wide range of products, including fresh agricultural and livestock items, processed foods, and delivered meals available on popular platforms such as Baedal Minjok, Coupang Eats, Yogiyo, Naver Shopping, Coupang, Gmarket, 11th Street, and various TV home shopping networks.

Key Focus Areas of the Crackdown:

False Origin Labeling:Discrepancies between advertised domestic ingredients and actual foreign ingredients used in delivered meals.
Misleading dual labeling, where domestic origin is prominently displayed while foreign origin is relegated to less visible detailed information.
Use of ambiguous phrases like "separate labeling" without providing clear origin information.
False claims of products being renowned regional specialties or exclusively domestic.
Non-Labeling and Labeling Violations:Complete omission of origin labeling.
Labeling practices that obscure or make it difficult for consumers to identify the product's origin.

Methodology of the Crackdown:

Cyber Surveillance:A dedicated cyber crackdown team, comprising 400 honorary inspectors from consumer advocacy groups and NAQS cyber monitoring personnel, will conduct preliminary online checks.
Scientific Verification:Products suspected of origin fraud will be purchased and subjected to scientific analysis, including beef and pork origin discrimination kits and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), to verify their true origin.
On-Site Inspections:Based on the results of the cyber surveillance, NAQS will conduct on-site inspections of businesses suspected of violations.
Penalties for Violations:

False Labeling:Under the "Origin Labeling Act," violators face severe penalties, including up to seven years of imprisonment or a fine of up to 100 million won (approximately $75,000 USD).
Non-Labeling and Labeling Violations:Businesses failing to label origins or violating labeling regulations will be subject to fines of up to 10 million won (approximately $7,500 USD).
NAQS's Commitment to Consumer Protection:

NAQS has demonstrated a commitment to reducing online sales violations, achieving an 11.6% decrease in 2023 compared to 2022 through systematic online sales management. Despite this improvement, 763 businesses were still found to be in violation of origin labeling in online sales during 2023. NAQS aims to further enhance consumer protection by ensuring clear and accurate origin labeling in the online marketplace.

Consumer Advisory:

NAQS urges consumers to exercise vigilance and carefully examine origin labeling when purchasing agricultural and livestock products online. Consumers are encouraged to report any suspected violations to NAQS or the Consumer Counseling Center.

Expanding Context:

The increase of online food purchases has created a new challenge for food safety and consumer protection agencies worldwide. The ease of online transactions can also create opportunities for fraudulent activities, such as misrepresenting the origin of food products. This crackdown by NAQS reflects a growing global trend of governments taking stricter measures to ensure transparency and accountability in the online food market. The use of scientific methods like NIRS shows the use of up to date technology to help with the crackdown.