Not uncommon! US temporarily bans imports of South Korean shellfish

Since the end of May, the Taipei City Health Bureau has received reports of multiple cases of food poisoning, and suspects that Korean oysters provided by a well-known chain restaurant may be the culprit. Although preliminary test results did not find any contamination with food poisoning bacteria, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a press release requiring restaurants and supermarkets to temporarily ban the sale of Korean shellfish products because they are suspected of being contaminated with norovirus, and four people have developed symptoms of physical discomfort after eating them.

The U.S. FDA stated in a press release on the 14th that all shellfish products imported from South Korea, whether fresh, frozen or canned, will be temporarily removed from the shelves, and issued a document asking the South Korean government to pay attention to safety regulations for food exports. It is understood that in the second half of 2011 alone, four people were suspected of suffering from food poisoning after eating Korean shellfish. After investigation, quarantine personnel found that some products were indeed contaminated by human fecal waste and were infected with Norovirus, causing the patients to suffer from vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, dehydration and other symptoms.

U.S. health officials said that the Korean Shellfish Sanitation Program (KSSP) has loopholes in quality control and clearly does not meet the standards originally required by the United States. Affected products include oysters, clams, mussels, scallops, etc. Since the FDA has completely banned the import of Korean shellfish on May 1, the order issued this time is mainly aimed at shellfish products imported before May 1. Even canned food must be recalled to prevent the possibility of food poisoning again. The United States has also started negotiations with South Korea on this matter.