In 22 tons of Colombian avocados imported by a Korean agricultural product trade platform operator Tridge, 2.03 milligrams per kilogram of thiabendazole had been detected. This is much higher than the standard of 0.01 milligram per kilogram set by the Korean regulator. Thiabendazole, a fungicide and pesticide used to control a slew of fruit and vegetable diseases such as mold, blight, rot and stains, can cause gastrointestinal abnormalities or mild inhibitions in the central nervous system when consumed in excess by humans.
The Ministry of Food said that it is currently retrieving all the avocados that had been declared unfit for sale, emphasizing that customers who bought the products must return them to the store.
The Ministry of Food stated that the authorities are figuring out where the avocados had been sold to, but Tridge, the company responsible for the import of the Colombian avocados in question, has so far failed to provide the necessary information about the retail chains they sold the products to.
Source: m.theinvestor.co.kr