Minister Oh Yoo-kyung of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said, “Food safety is the foundation of public health, and it is important for the government, industry, and consumers to cooperate and share responsibilities,” on the 8th.
On that day, Minister Oh noted that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will work harder to secure public trust in food safety and promote the growth of K-food during the 24th Food Safety Day ceremony held at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has designated May 14th as Food Safety Day since 2002 to raise public understanding and interest in food safety and create a consensus. The ceremony was attended by various figures representing the industry and consumers, including Lee Hyo-yul, president of the Korea Food Industry Association, and Jeon Gye-soon, vice president of the Korea Consumer Association.
A key event included awards for those who contributed to food safety. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety awarded a medal to Park Yun-ki, CEO of LOTTE Chilsung Beverage, for strengthening the public's right to information by conveniently providing accurate food information using digital technology.
Awards were also given to Ahn Bin, CEO of the Korea Ginseng Corporation, for efforts to expand exports of health functional foods, and to Kim Jeong-nyeon, vice president of the Korea Food Research Institute, for contributions to the development of food safety management policies.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that the two weeks before and after Food Safety Day will be designated as Food Safety Week and various events will be held. Until the 9th, various promotional booths will be operated under the themes of 'Keep Safety,' 'Kind Consideration,' 'Global Growth,' and 'Digital Innovation' with participation from the government and food corporations at Seoul Plaza.
In the Safety Hall, visitors can learn about thorough food safety management systems that protect public health, including food poisoning prevention, restaurant hygiene grading system, safety management of imported foods, and consumer expiration dates. In the Consideration Hall, policies that consider all citizens, such as Food QR, safe meal programs, braille labeling, and sodium and sugar reduction, can be experienced. The Growth Hall features K-food expanding into the global market, while the Innovation Hall showcases policies for public assurance through digital innovations such as smart HACCP and Food Safety Country.