Recently, over 200 food poisoning cases originated from a Cheongdam-dong Witch Gimbap (청담동 마녀 김밥) branch and has put recent focus on the issue of hygienic conditions at gimbap stores.
On August 11th, Money Today reporters randomly visited 10 gimbap stores around Seoul to see these conditions for themselves. At 6 of the 10 stores visited, they found that the worker preparing the food would also help customers check out.
It's no wonder that food poisoning cases were spread with such poor hygiene protocol.
Cheongdam-dong Witch Gimbap Storefront (Source: Kukmin Ilbo)
One scene witnessed at a snack food store in Jongno would be enough for anyone to question the safety of the food.
A customer ordered gimbap and the store owner in his 60s prepared it with his bare hands and then took the customer's card as well. When ingredients fell on the floor, he picked them up with his bare hands again and put them back in the containers.
Only 4 of the 10 stores visited had separate payment and cooking sections. 9 of the 10 stores used plastic gloves when preparing food, but only 1 of them changed gloves for each new order, while the other 8 reused them.
Out of the 6 stores they purchased gimbap at, 1 was in bad condition. Just 30 minutes after purchase, it had to be thrown away because it smelled spoilt. One consumer reported seeing workers keep sanitary gloves on while handling credit cards and cash.
After the food poisoning incident at Cheongdam-dong Witch Gimbap, other gimbap owners say the number of customers has decreased considerably, even up to 40%. Unfortunately, even stores that have proper hygiene have been hit hard by the recent negative publicity.
According to an inspection conducted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the food poisoning cases from two Cheongdam-dong Witch Gimbap branches in Bundang last month are believed to have been caused by salmonella.
Salmonella is a widely spread food poisoning bacteria that's in the intestines of animals, such as chickens, ducks and pigs, and is commonly found in eggs. When consumed, it can cause stomachache, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever.
Over the course of 4 days, 276 people who bought gimbap at the "Cheongdam-dong Witch Gimbap" branches Bundang-gu showed symptoms of food poisoning and more than 40 people were hospitalized.
Salmonella was detected in 18 of the patients. Salmonella bacteria was found in 4 samples taken from kitchenware at the 2 branches. However, it did not appear in any food samples.
As the possibility of food poisoning increases due to summer heat waves, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, along with 17 local governments, have decided to intensively inspect the hygiene management of more than 3,000 snack stores selling gimbap from the 9th to 20th of this month.
This article was paraphrased from: Busan Daily & Money Today
