"Bit into a cockroach while eating cafeteria food" foreign object controversy... Official says, "It seems to be true"

A cockroach was found at a national university cafeteria located in Daegu.

According to the Daegu area university community and others on the 30th, around 12:30 PM the previous day, an anonymous online university community 'Everytime' posted on the Gyeongbuk National University Daegu Campus free bulletin board that a cockroach was found in a meal served at the university information center cafeteria. The author wrote, "While chewing the food, something got caught, so I spat it out and it was about the size of a fingernail," and "I went to the bathroom and vomited," and it is reported that the post has since been deleted.

Therefore, Gyeongbuk National University confirmed the fact that bugs were found in the food and conducted an emergency disinfection of the cafeteria and other areas the day before. A university official stated, "Although we couldn't verify the actual bugs, based on photos and other evidence, it seems likely that cockroaches were present," and added, "We plan to conduct educational programs to prevent recurrence."

Meanwhile, besides cafeteria food, how should we respond if foreign objects like the above are found in restaurant prepared dishes?

The Food Safety Information Service recommends following the procedures below.

First, document the situation where the foreign object was found, and take photos of the foreign object and the food. It is helpful to remember in detail whether you bit into the food and felt something hard, or if the foreign object was visible immediately upon opening the lid.

Secondly, foreign objects should not be discarded and must be stored in a zipper bag or container. If there are no foreign objects, it is difficult to determine the exact cause. Also, secure proof of purchase, such as receipts or other documentation. Afterwards, call 1399 without an area code to report the restaurant name, address, the food ordered, and the situation of foreign object discovery. Once the report is received, investigation agencies such as the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety or local government authorities will complete the cause investigation and inform the reporter of the results.

The company that manufactured the problematic food product may face various administrative sanctions depending on the type of foreign substance found and the degree of negligence.

In the case of restaurants or bakeries, they usually receive a correction order or a suspension of business for 2 to 20 days. The person responsible can be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison or fined up to 50 million won. However, if the report is made too late after discovering a foreign object, evidence such as the foreign object may deteriorate, making investigation difficult.