Fungi Found in Richam, Canned Ham Product of Dongwon F&B

It was belatedly known that a lump of fungi was found in Richam, a canned ham product of Dongwon F&B famous for its Dongwon Tuna Cans.

Last year, black impurities were found in the company's Dongwon Tuna Can, and this time, a lump of fungi was found in its ham product, which implies that the company has a food hygiene control problem.

In particular, since fungi were found even in canned products that have undergone sterilization treatment, consumers at home and abroad need to pay much attention to their convenience food.

Insight, a Korean Internet media outlet, shocked people by reporting about the fungi on the surface of a Richam can with photos based on a report from a resident who works for a company in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province.

"This is not a problem that occurred in the manufacturing process because the product undergoes a sterilization treatment process," said a representative of the Dongwon Group’s Public Relations Team. “However, if a crack appears due to a shock in a distribution process, air may enter the can, giving rise to fungi.” Richam is a hit product of Dongwon, which ranked No. 1 in the meat processing sector in the 2016 Brand Customer Satisfaction Index (BCSI).

Meanwhile, this is not the first time that controversy is aroused over impurities in a Dongwon product. In May of last year, black foreign substances were discovered one after another in the Dongwon Mild Tuna Can, which prompted the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to temporarily prohibit the distribution and sale of the product. Dongwon apologized under the name of the CEO and voluntarily withdraw the product, but this time, the fungi were found in the canned ham, it is likely that consumers will continue to feel anxious about Dongwon products.