admin One of America’s most popular exports is prohibited in South Korea – Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning mix.
The blend, which is favoured by influencers and frequently featured in TikTok recipes, contains salt, minced garlic, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds – the latter of which is banned in South Korea.
Travellers arriving at Seoul’s Incheon Airport (ICN) have recently reported seeing signs specifically stating that the Everything But the Bagel seasoning mix is not permitted.
One poster on X, formerly known as Twitter, shared a poster from the airport. The sign had a picture of the seasoning mix and read in Korean, “We would like to inform you that the following products containing poppy seeds are restricted from being brought into the country as ‘Papaver Somniferum L,’ an ingredient of the poppy family designated as narcotic substance under South Korea’s narcotic drugs control law has been detected.”
“Seed products with narcotic substances have always been banned from being brought into Korea. Recently, the customs offices have been strengthening crackdown on narcotic related items,” an airport representative said.
The poppy plant is a crucial source of compounds found in painkillers like codeine and morphine, as well as in street drugs like heroin, although the seeds themselves do not contain any opiates.
Recently, a blogger on the Korean website Naver shared their experience of bringing Trader Joe’s products back from the US to South Korea.
In a post made on 14 July, the blogger recounted bringing back 20 bottles of the seasoning, which she had discovered online. However, they emerged from the luggage conveyor belt with a yellow lock on them, prompting her to speak with airport officials to explain why she had brought the prohibited items into the country.
“There seems to be some confusion,” she wrote, noting that other passengers on her flight also had their products confiscated.
Ultimately, “I gave up the seasoning bottles and then I was let go,” she concluded.
South Korea is not the only country with restrictions on poppy seeds.
In Singapore, poppy seeds are officially classified as “prohibited goods” by the Central Narcotics Bureau. However, those who wish to bring them into the country, whether in seed form or as part of food products, can apply for an exemption through the Health Sciences Authority.
Last year, the Pentagon issued a warning to military personnel that consuming poppy seeds could result in a positive drug test.
“Out of an abundance of caution, I find protecting service members and the integrity of the drug testing program requires a warning to avoid poppy seeds,” read the memo.
Experts assert that it would be virtually impossible to consume enough poppy seeds to experience a high.
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