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Busan Metropolitan City Strengthens Food and Beverage Safety Management for International Events, Supporting Successful Events with Zero Food Poisoning Incidents

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that its comprehensive food and beverage safety management for major international events held in Busan this year, 2026, helped ensure the successful operation of the events without any food poisoning incidents.

Beginning with LIV Golf Korea 2026 in May, followed by the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in July and the 2026 Busan World Library and Information Congress in August, the city implemented on-site safety management tailored to the food and beverage service characteristics of each event.

First, during LIV Golf Korea 2026, held at Asiad Country Club from May 25 to 31, the city carried out hygiene management at four food suppliers, 16 food trucks, and designated accommodations for players, among other locations.

The city inspected the cooking and storage conditions of food and beverages provided to players, event staff, media personnel, volunteers, and others, as well as workers’ personal hygiene and retained food sample management. It also operated a system for sharing food safety information with event-related departments.

Even after the event ended, the city continued monitoring for suspected food poisoning reports and food and lodging hygiene complaints, taking into account the incubation period of foodborne pathogens. The event concluded safely without any related reports.

The city then activated an even more rigorous food and beverage safety management system for the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held in July, in cooperation with relevant agencies including the Busan Metropolitan City Institute of Health and Environment, the Busan Regional Food and Drug Administration, and district and county offices.

From July 15 to 29, the city and district and county offices deployed 24 personnel on site for 15 days and conducted a total of 1,395 continuous inspections at the BEXCO meeting venue, official food service facilities, and other locations.

Every stage of food service was inspected daily, from checking the health status of food handlers and inspecting ingredients to cooking, transportation, serving, and storage of retained food samples. Rapid food poisoning tests were also conducted by specialized testing personnel from the Busan Metropolitan City Institute of Health and Environment and the Busan Regional Food and Drug Administration.

In particular, the Busan Metropolitan City Institute of Health and Environment operated a rapid-testing vehicle stationed at Busan Lotte Hotel Co., Ltd., a major food service facility, and tested for 17 types of foodborne pathogens approximately four hours before food was served. The Busan Regional Food and Drug Administration also deployed a rapid-testing vehicle at BEXCO to support on-site testing.

A total of 299 rapid tests were conducted during the event, and two food ingredients scheduled to be served were found to be non-compliant. Before the ingredients could be served, the city disposed of all affected products and immediately implemented preventive measures, including disinfecting cooking facilities and workers’ sanitary clothing and conducting detailed examinations of food handlers, thereby preventing the possibility of a food poisoning outbreak.

For international events, the city is also applying enhanced response criteria under which relevant agencies jointly respond from the earliest stage when suspected food poisoning cases occur.

A joint response system involving relevant agencies such as the Busan Metropolitan City Institute of Health and Environment and the Busan Regional Food and Drug Administration, which is normally activated when a large-scale food poisoning outbreak affects 50 or more people, is immediately activated for international events when two or more event-related individuals show symptoms of suspected food poisoning.

As soon as a suspected case is reported, the city simultaneously carries out an on-site epidemiological investigation and specimen collection, rapid testing of food and environmental samples, and preemptive measures such as disposal and disinfection of suspected foods, thereby preventing the potential spread of food poisoning at an early stage.

The city also conducted intensive hygiene management at the event venue and food and beverage service providers during the 2026 Busan World Library and Information Congress, held at BEXCO from August 10 to 13.

Approximately 3,000 participants from 120 countries attended the congress. The city deployed seven members of its Food Safety Team to oversee the manufacturer of boxed meals for volunteers, catering for the opening ceremony, the K-Food Zone and cafeteria in the exhibition hall, and other facilities.

Inspections covered the hygiene conditions of kitchens and cooking utensils at the boxed-meal manufacturer and on-site food service facilities, refrigeration and freezing storage standards, and whether workers had undergone required health examinations. The city also provided guidance on supplying allergen information and English-language labeling information.

In particular, the city expanded the scope of management to include additional food and beverage service facilities identified during on-site inspections, minimizing gaps in hygiene oversight. The congress concluded safely without any reports of suspected food poisoning during the event.

Even after the event ended, the city will maintain its food poisoning response team through August 18, taking into account the incubation period of foodborne pathogens. If suspected food poisoning is reported among two or more people associated with the event, the city plans to work with relevant agencies, including the Busan Metropolitan City Institute of Health and Environment and the Busan Regional Food and Drug Administration, to promptly investigate the cause and take on-site measures.

Jo Gyu-yul, Director-General of the Citizen Health Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, said, “Food safety at major international events must be managed thoroughly not only during the event itself, but throughout every stage from preparation through post-event follow-up. Based on close cooperation with relevant agencies, we will make every effort to ensure food and beverage safety so that international events held in Busan remain free of food poisoning incidents.”