Singapore and South Korea have taken a popular Trader Joe’s seasoning off online marketplaces after authorities raised concerns over its poppy seed content.
Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau said Wednesday that more than 20 internet advertisements for the product had been taken down.
The measure follows similar action in South Korea, where testing reportedly detected morphine and codeine in samples of the seasoning.
Although poppy seeds themselves do not naturally contain opiates, they can become contaminated during harvesting when exposed to sap from the poppy plant.
Both Singapore and South Korea impose strict restrictions on products containing such substances.
The seasoning, introduced by US supermarket chain Trader Joe’s in 2017, is made from a mixture that includes poppy and sesame seeds, salt, garlic and onion.
Singaporean authorities have advised consumers who already possess the product to throw it away.
The Central Narcotics Bureau warned that the country maintains a stringent approach to controlled substances, with offences covering possession, use, importation, exportation, production and distribution, even where only minute quantities are involved.
Meanwhile, South Korean officials said some individuals had returned with the seasoning after travelling abroad and later offered it for sale online.
Investigators believe certain sellers were unaware of its restricted ingredients, while others may have known about them.
Police in South Korea have consequently cautioned travellers against assuming that goods legally available overseas are automatically permitted in the country.
Officials urged the public to check local regulations carefully before bringing food products containing potentially controlled ingredients across national borders.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong