No sulfur-fumigated bamboo shoots from China have entered S. Korea, food safety agency says

South Korean authorities said bamboo shoots illegally treated with sulfur fumigation in China — a practice used to whiten the vegetable and extend its shelf life — have never been imported into the country as fresh produce.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Sunday it had confirmed that the Chinese bamboo shoots at the center of the controversy "have not been imported into South Korea in the form of agricultural produce."

The scandal emerged after processors in Qingyuan, Guangdong Province, were found to have fumigated bamboo shoots with sulfur overnight to bleach them white and preserve them for extended periods.

Local sample analysis detected sulfur dioxide — harmful to humans — at roughly 4,860 milligrams per kilogram, far exceeding the permitted limit. As the fallout grew, local market supervision authorities seized and sealed the products and launched a distribution-network investigation in coordination with public security and agricultural officials.

The ministry said that while no fresh bamboo shoots had entered the country, it was also operating a tight customs safety net for processed bamboo shoot products — such as canned goods — that are currently being imported.

Sulfur dioxide residue testing had already been conducted routinely as part of customs-stage inspections, but the ministry said it would raise inspection standards further to preemptively address public concern.

Accordingly, the ministry plans to conduct additional sulfur dioxide tests at the customs stage, broken down by overseas manufacturer, on all processed Chinese bamboo shoot products entering the country for a set period.

"We will actively respond by monitoring overseas safety alerts in real time, conducting thorough inspections, and significantly strengthening the overall safety management of imported food, so that the public can eat with confidence," a ministry official said.