This Aug. 25, 2020, photo shows food wrapped in plastic containers and bags for delivery at a restaurant in Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — The government is on track to install CCTV cameras in the kitchens of franchise restaurants, a move aimed at ensuring the safety of delivery food.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on Tuesday that it came up with a string of measures to strengthen food safety management amid growing concerns over the sanitation of delivered foods following the recent incident where a live rat was found in a salad delivered with jokbal (boiled pigs feet).
In collaboration with the Korea Franchise Association, the ministry plans to launch a trial project to install CCTV cameras at franchise restaurants starting from March.
This move is aimed at enabling customers to watch the food preparation inside restaurant kitchens live to make sure that the dishes served are safe and fresh.
The ministry plans to ease or exempt administrative penalties for those who participate in the trial project.
The food sanitation law will also be revised towards strengthening the management responsibility of the franchise headquarters.
Under the revised law, the franchise headquarters will be obliged to provide sanitation education and food safety techniques to affiliated restaurants.
The safety standards for kitchens and food preparation areas will be strengthened to prevent rodents like rat from entering. A new legal provision will also be established to levy fines once rats or their feces are found in delivered food.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
