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The government is to entrust the country¡¯s food safety enforcement to a single body, the Korea Food and Drug Administration, to streamline responsibilities currently scattered among eight government agencies.
A Health and Welfare Ministry official said Friday it became clear that food safety management needs to be integrated after a string of food scares in recent weeks that culminated in the discovery of parasites in Korean-made kimchi on Thursday. The KFDA earlier found the carcinogenic dye Malachite Green in freshwater fish and parasites in kimchi imported from China.
Under the present system, the Ministry of Health and Welfare is responsible for import and distribution of agricultural products, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries for marine products, the Agriculture Ministry for livestock, and the Education Ministry for school meals. For arcane reasons, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy controls the quality of natural salt, while the Environment Ministry deals with potable spring water. The Justice Ministry punishes violators of food safety-related laws, and the National Tax Service handles import, production and distribution of alcoholic drinks.
The government decided to give the KFDA full powers in handling all food safety issues for this year and to integrate bodies through a revision of administrative laws next year.
A government official said urgent measures were needed amid growing public suspicion of foodstuffs in the wake of the kimchi scandal. ¡°We have reached the conclusion that integrating food-related affairs under the KFDA is more efficient,¡± he added.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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