[Courtesy of Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs]
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Wednesday that it would strengthen sanitary inspection, manual distribution and hygiene management at mushroom farms, including four enoki mushroom exporters.
"Although South Korea eats enoki mushrooms by heating them up and cooking, it is estimated that the food culture in the U.S. is different, such as eating them in the form of salads that are eaten right away, causing listeria food poisoning," the ministry said in a statement.
Enoki mushrooms, a popular ingredient for soups, especially in East Asian cuisine, are long and thin. They can be used for salads and other dishes. Consumers will not be able to smell, taste or see whether their food contains listeria bacteria.
Listeria is a type of food poisoning that is not usually life-threatening to healthy individuals but poses a greater threat to pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems and adults age 65 or older. The bacteria is sometimes found on foods like deli meat and some kinds of milk, as it grows in cold temperatures on un-processed and unpasteurized foods.
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reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
