South Korea’s viral “Dubai Chocolate Mochi Cookie” has come under scrutiny over food safety concerns. On February 25, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) released inspection results targeting delivery operators and unmanned ice cream shops selling the popular dessert.
According to local media, the MFDS, together with 17 regional governments, conducted joint inspections from February 2 to 6 on 4,180 businesses—2,947 dessert delivery operators and 1,233 unmanned ice cream outlets. Priority was given to businesses that had not been inspected in the past two years or had no previous violations, aiming to strengthen oversight in management blind spots.
The inspections revealed that 81 businesses violated the Food Sanitation Act, including 60 dessert delivery operators and 21 unmanned outlets. Violations included employees lacking health checks (20 cases), uncovered trash bins or other facility breaches (14 cases), failure to wear sanitary hats or masks (12 cases), selling or storing expired products (10 cases), and non-compliance with product specifications (2 cases).
Among 128 product samples tested, one Dubai Chocolate Mochi Cookie sold by a delivery operator was found to exceed safe levels of Staphylococcus aureus, a common foodborne pathogen. Authorities said legal action would be taken against the offending operators, with follow-up inspections scheduled within six months to ensure improvements.
The MFDS stated that since 2021 it has been intensifying inspections of popular foods. This year, the focus will continue on delivery services and unmanned stores to close hygiene gaps and safeguard public food safety.
