Four frozen produce items sold in Incheon fail inspection; pesticide residues up to 56 times the limit

【Financial News, Incheon = Han Gab-soo】 Pesticide residues far exceeding permitted limits were detected in some frozen produce sold in Incheon. Incheon City notified the relevant agencies about the four products found noncompliant and took steps to block their distribution.
Incheon City said on the 12th that an inspection of 100 frozen produce products sold at large supermarkets and online marketplaces in the city from February through October—12 domestically produced and 88 imported—found that four exceeded the permitted pesticide residue limits.
The noncompliant products were frozen Vietnamese passion fruit and lychees, young napa cabbage, and frozen chickpeas made from Spanish-origin ingredients and repackaged domestically. Difenoconazole was detected in the passion fruit and lychees at 0.05 mg/kg and 0.04 mg/kg, respectively.
The young napa cabbage contained 0.14 mg/kg of difenoconazole and 0.05 mg/kg of buprofezin, while the chickpeas contained 0.56 mg/kg of piperonyl butoxide. The detected levels were between four and 56 times the permitted limits.
Because no separate permitted limits had been set for these pesticide ingredients in the individual produce items, the uniform limit of 0.01 mg/kg or less under the Positive List System (PLS) was applied. The PLS regulates only pesticides approved for use according to set limits and caps pesticides without a separate limit at 0.01 mg/kg or less.
Lead and cadmium were detected in some products during heavy-metal testing, but all results were within the limits. Radioactive iodine (I-131) and cesium (Cs-134 and Cs-137) were not detected in any of the products.
The inspection was conducted to ensure safety amid rising consumption of frozen produce. According to Korea Customs Service statistics, frozen fruit imports rose by about 74%, from 46,530 metric tons in 2021 to 81,075 metric tons in 2025. There have also been cases in which frozen blueberries and lychees, among other products, were recalled for exceeding pesticide residue limits, prompting calls for continued monitoring.
Incheon City's Institute of Health and Environment urgently notified the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and other relevant agencies of the noncompliant test results so that follow-up measures, including distribution bans and administrative sanctions, could be taken.
Kim Myeong-hui, director of the city's Institute of Health and Environment, said, "As consumption of frozen produce increases, we will strengthen safety management while monitoring consumption trends and expanding inspections, focusing on items that require closer oversight."
[email protected] Han Gab-soo Reporter