Chinese wood ear mushrooms imported by Korean company found to contain pesticide residue 17 times over legal limit
Imported wood ear and white wood ear mushrooms, staples in spicy dishes like malatang and jjambbong, are being recalled after pesticide residue was found to exceed permitted levels, news reports said Friday.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety recently ordered two Chinese imports off the market: Wood ear mushrooms brought in by Taeyang Trading in Guro-gu, Seoul, and white wood ear mushrooms by Seongmin Trading in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.
Lab tests showed carbendazim levels in Taeyang Trading's mushrooms at 17 times the permitted level of 0.01 milligrams per kilogram. Carbendazim is used on fruits and vegetables to prevent fungal diseases, while acetamiprid is used to control pests. High exposure to carbendazim may pose health risks, including reproductive and developmental effects.
The company imported a total of 6,900 kilograms from China's Hubei Piaoyang Food Science and Technology Co. The mushrooms were packed in 1-kilogram packages on May 26 and can be kept for up to two years from that date.
Seongmin Trading's white wood ear mushrooms, supplied by China's Gutian Yumeijia Food Co., were found to contain acetamiprid, an insecticide used for pest control, at more than five times the permitted level. Some 2,880 kilograms were imported, with a packaging date of April 2 and a shelf life of 24 months.
Authorities urged consumers who purchased the affected mushrooms to stop using them immediately and return them to the place of purchase.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
