Daegu Assures Safety of Spring Produce: 97.2% Pass Inspections

Daegu Assures Public of Spring Produce Safety

Daegu Metropolitan City’s Health and Environmental Research Institute has announced that 97.2% of seasonal agricultural products, including popular spring vegetables, passed recent safety inspections. The comprehensive checks were conducted to ensure the safety of produce consumed in high volumes during the spring season.

From March 3 to March 24, 2026, the institute carried out detailed examinations on 108 samples across 27 different items. These samples were collected from various sources, including general distribution channels, the institute’s own planned surveys, and agricultural and fishery wholesale markets within the city. The inspections were prompted by increasing public interest in seasonal ingredients like bomdong bibimbap (a type of cabbage mixed rice) and minari samgyeopsal (pork belly with water dropwort), and were also part of a national directive from Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to enhance spring produce safety management. Key contaminants screened included 480 types of pesticide residues and heavy metals such as lead and cadmium.

The vast majority of tested items, including bomdong (a type of cabbage) and other popular spring namul (wild greens or seasonal vegetables integral to Korean cuisine), were found to be safe, meeting all standards for pesticide residues and heavy metals. However, two samples of minari (water dropwort) and one sample of yeolmu (young radish) showed pesticide levels exceeding permissible limits. Upon detecting these non-compliant products, the institute immediately notified relevant authorities, leading to administrative actions such as the seizure and disposal of the affected produce to prevent it from reaching consumers.

Shin Sang-hee, director of the Daegu Metropolitan City Health and Environmental Research Institute, affirmed the city’s ongoing commitment to public health. “We will continue to conduct thorough safety inspections on items that see increased consumption each season,” Shin stated, “doing our utmost to create an environment where citizens can safely consume agricultural products.”

Source: 대구광역시 — Original Notice (Korean)