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Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) headquarters in Osong, South Korea. (Photo courtesy of the MFDS) |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] SEOUL, November 9, 2025 — South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) announced a mandatory recall of Chinese-origin garlic scapes and frozen spinach after laboratory tests revealed pesticide residues exceeding national safety limits.
According to the MFDS, the affected products were imported and distributed by E-Fa Trading Co. (garlic scapes) and Heemang Sangsa Co. (frozen spinach). Testing confirmed excessive levels of Imidazil in the garlic scapes and Famoxadone in the spinach.
Imidazil, a fungicide commonly used on citrus crops, is known for its neurotoxic and potential carcinogenic properties. The legal residue limit in food products is 0.01 mg/kg, but tests found 0.13 mg/kg in the imported garlic scapes.
Famoxadone, used to prevent blight in peppers, potatoes, cucumbers, and cabbage, can cause severe eye damage and is classified as highly toxic to aquatic life. Its legal limit is 0.01 mg/kg, but 0.52 mg/kg was detected in the frozen spinach samples.
The recall covers 49,896 kilograms of garlic scapes packaged in 7-kg units labeled with the production year “2025”, and 22,000 kilograms of frozen spinach sold in 1-kg packs with the packaging date “June 10, 2025” and a shelf life of 36 months from packaging.
The MFDS stated:
“Sales of the affected products have been suspended, and we have ordered immediate recall measures. Consumers who purchased these products should stop using them and return them to the point of purchase.”
Consumers are urged to report any related food safety violations via the Food Safety Hotline (1399) or the ‘Naeson-an’ mobile app, which allows direct reporting of unsafe food practices.
알파경제 Kim Jisun (stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
