Regulatory authorities in Singapore and South Korea have initiated removal of Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning from online retail platforms following concerns about its poppy seed ingredient. Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau reported on Wednesday that more than 20 online listings of the product have been taken down.
Poppy seeds themselves do not naturally contain opiates, but both nations maintain strict prohibitions on the ingredient due to potential contamination with opiates that can occur through fluid exposure during the harvesting process. Last week, authorities in Seoul announced that the seasoning tested positive for morphine and codeine, which are alkaloid compounds present in poppy plant sap. Singapore’s narcotics authority has instructed residents in possession of the product to dispose of it immediately.
The seasoning, which was introduced by American grocery retailer Trader Joe’s in 2017, also contains sesame seeds, sea salt, minced garlic, and minced onion. Singapore enforces what officials describe as a zero-tolerance approach toward controlled drugs, with laws prohibiting possession, consumption, importation, exportation, manufacturing, and trafficking of any controlled substances, including trace amounts.
In South Korea, investigators determined that some individuals had purchased the product during overseas travel and subsequently resold it domestically, with some sellers apparently unaware the item contained restricted substances while others knowingly listed it for sale. A South Korean police official emphasized that products legally available in other markets may still fall under narcotic classifications or import prohibitions within the country, requiring heightened consumer awareness.
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