If you have red pepper powder in the kitchen, check the package details, not just the broad product category. Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) announced a sales halt and recall on 14 October 2026 for one specified product after a pesticide test exceeded its standard.
What to compare on the package
| Detail | Recalled product in the MFDS notice |
|---|---|
| Name actually printed on retail packaging | 홍초고춧가루 (Hongcho gochutgaru); the release table writes 홍초 고추가루 |
| Pack size | 1 kg |
| Manufacture date | 2026.08.14 |
| Companies | Made by 주)손질 (Sonjil); distributed by 주식회사 우성물산 (Woosung Mulsan) |
The stated use-by period is 12 months from manufacture. The date above is a manufacture date, not a separately identified lot or batch code. The announcement does not implicate every chili-powder product or every manufacture date sharing a similar name.
Why, and what to do
The MFDS reported ethion at 0.04 mg/kg against an applicable limit of 0.01 mg/kg. Its reported 200 kg production quantity is not a confirmed quantity recovered. The measured exceedance alone does not establish an individual health outcome.
MFDS asks purchasers of the affected product to stop consuming it and return it to the place of purchase. Keep the package to compare the name, 1 kg weight and manufacture date; contact the seller if uncertain. On the morning of 16 October 2026 KST, the Food Safety Korea mobile recall list still returned a record matching the product and date, but its recall-stage and recovered-quantity fields were blank. That listing does not establish completion or the precise current stage. Recheck the official record before acting on an older copy of this article.
Korean Naver edition: Hongcho red pepper powder recall guide
About the Author
Life Mokcha editors compared the MFDS attachment dated 14 October 2026 with the Food Safety Korea recall list. Completion of the recall was not verified.
