Over 200 certified eateries breached food sanitation rules, study finds
Government data revealed that 223 establishments holding the state’s food-safety seal broke the Food Sanitation Act last year, with violations rising again after a dip in 2023.
Data released by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety shows that 223 food-service operators bearing the official sanitation seal breached the Food Sanitation Act in the most recent year, marking an upward trend from 133 in 2021 and 166 in 2022. After a temporary decline to 58 violations in 2023, the figure rose again to 138 in 2024. The certification, which allows restaurants, bakeries, caterers and even convenience stores to display a gold-star mark, rarely leads to revocation; only eight establishments had their certificate cancelled, representing 3.6% of cases, and none were stripped in 2023.
Cancellation occurs after repeated refusal to correct violations or when penalties suspend operations. Democratic Party lawmaker Nam I-soon warned that allowing violators to retain their rating undermines public trust and urged revisions so officials can adjust ratings based on new assessments.
Why it matters
Consumers rely on the certification to gauge hygiene, but rising violations and weak enforcement risk eroding that trust.
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