Police in South Korea are cracking down on an American pantry favorite: Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel seasoning.
Authorities have begun blocking sales of the popular seasoning on an online secondhand marketplace after testing detected “narcotic substances” in the product, according to The Korea Herald.
The Mapo Police Station in Seoul said this week that it identified listings for the seasoning blend on Karrot, a major secondhand marketplace, and worked with the company to block transactions involving the product. Police said travelers are prohibited from bringing the seasoning into South Korea.
Trader Joe’s savory seasoning blend contains sesame seeds, garlic, onion and sea salt flakes, but one ingredient has landed the pantry staple in trouble with South Korean authorities: poppy seeds.
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According to the report, an analysis by South Korea’s National Forensic Service detected morphine and codeine in the product. Both are controlled narcotic substances under South Korean law.
Police said some sellers brought the seasoning back from overseas trips before listing it for resale. Because the product falls under South Korea’s Narcotics Control Act, both buyers and sellers could face criminal charges for possessing or trading it.
Investigators believe some users attempted to sell or trade the seasoning without realizing it contained prohibited substances.
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“Even if a product is legally sold overseas, it may be classified as a narcotic substance or a prohibited import in Korea, so particular caution is required,” a police official said, according to The Korea Herald.
“Consumers should check the relevant regulations before selling or purchasing food products brought in from abroad,” police added. “We will respond strictly if products containing narcotic substances are found to be circulating.”
Karrot agreed to restrict transactions involving the seasoning and has removed related listings since July 27.
South Korea began restricting the popular seasoning in 2022 because of concerns surrounding its poppy seeds. While poppy seeds themselves do not contain opium, they can become contaminated with opium alkaloids such as morphine and codeine during harvesting.
While poppy seeds themselves do not contain any opium, the harvesting process could cause the item to be contaminated by the plant’s fluid, which does contain opiates.
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Defense advised service members to avoid eating foods containing poppy seeds because consuming them could result in a positive urinalysis for codeine.
FOX Business has reached out to Trader Joe’s for comment.
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