TRADER Joe fans were shocked to learn a popular item was banned outside the United States.
The discovery came after a traveler was forced to throw away 20 bottles of the product due to medication concerns.
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Trader Joe’s customers traveling to South Korea better leave their Everything But the Bagel seasoning mix behind.
The well-known mix has become a staple for many social media users and contains salt, minced garlic, sesame seeds and poppy seeds.
POPPY REPLACEMENT
Poppy seeds are banned in South Korea due to their association with narcotics.
Per CNNtravelers arriving at Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN) have reported seeing signs that specifically mention a ban on Everything But the Bagel seasoning mix.
Read more about Trader Joe’s
On July 10, 2024, a user shared a photo from an airport poster, which included a photo of the popular seasoning mix.
According to the outlet, the sign read in Korean: “We would like to inform you that the following products containing poppy seeds are prohibited from being brought into the country as ‘Papaver Somniferum L’, an ingredient from the poppy family designated as a narcotic substance under South Korea’s narcotics control law has been detected.”
An airport representative told CNN: “Seed products with narcotic substances have always been prohibited from being brought into Korea.
“Recently, customs has tightened its crackdown on narcotics-related items.”
According to the publication, the poppy plant is a vital source of the same compounds found in painkillers like codeine and morphine, and in street drugs like heroin.
However, there are no opiates in the seeds themselves.
On July 14, a blogger from the Korean website Naver posted about her experience bringing Trader Joe’s items to South Korea after returning from the US.
The blogger said she found Everything But the Bagel seasoning online and was returning with 20 bottles of the popular blend.
She revealed that the bottles had a yellow padlock on them when they left baggage claim.
The blogger said she had to explain to airport authorities why she brought the banned items into the country, according to CNN.
Where do poppy plants grow
Poppy plants grow in dry, hot climates in Central Asia and Latin America. The following countries can harvest poppy seeds,
- Peru
- Pakistan
- Burma
- Colombia
- Mexico
“There appears to be some confusion,” she wrote, sharing that others on her flight also had their items taken.
“I gave up the seasoning bottles and then I was dismissed,” she concluded.
South Korea is not the only Asian country that has banned poppy seeds.
O Central Narcotics Bureau in Singapore officially classified seeds as “prohibited goods”.
However, people who want to bring them to the Asian country – whether through food or in the form of seeds – can apply for an exemption through the Singapore Health Sciences Authority.
CONCERNS ABOUT THE PENTAGON POPPY
Per CNNIn 2023, the Pentagon issued a warning to military personnel that consuming poppy seeds could result in a positive drug test.
The memo said: “Out of an abundance of caution, I find that protecting the military and the integrity of the drug testing program requires a warning to avoid poppy seeds.”
“Poppy seeds do not contain enough opiates to intoxicate you,” states a February 2023 report article from the University of Florida College of Medicine.
“But because drug tests are extremely sensitive, consumption of certain poppy seed food products can lead to positive urine test results for opiates – specifically for morphine, codeine, or both.”
Trader Joe’s was founded in Pasadena, California, in 1967 and now operates more than 500 locations across the US.
Per CNNThe grocery chain’s customers ranked its Everything But the Bagel seasoning as one of their favorite products in a 2023 survey.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
