Singapore and S Korea pull Trader Joe’s seasoning over poppy seeds
Singapore and South Korea have removed Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning from online marketplaces because it contains poppy seeds, which are prohibited in both countries. The action highlights how foods legally sold abroad can breach strict drug-control laws elsewhere, even where the restricted ingredient is present in small quantities.
Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau said more than 20 online listings had been taken down and urged people who own the seasoning to dispose of it. Seoul authorities said tests found morphine and codeine, while South Korean investigators reported that some sellers had imported bottles as souvenirs for resale; the product, launched in 2017, also contains sesame seeds, salt, garlic and onion.
In short
- Singapore and South Korea removed Trader Joe’s seasoning over poppy seeds.
- Seoul tests found morphine and codeine.
- Singapore urged owners to dispose of the product.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Singapore and South Korea have established drug control frameworks that classify poppy seeds as prohibited substances due to the morphine and codeine they contain. Strict, consistent enforcement of these laws reflects a sovereign policy choice and maintains the integrity of drug control regulations; allowing exceptions for food products could undermine the framework by creating loopholes that complicate enforcement.
The case against
Numerous countries with equally rigorous drug enforcement permit poppy seed products because trace amounts in food pose negligible pharmaceutical risk, suggesting the prohibition is disproportionate. A risk-based approach to regulation would distinguish between drugs and food ingredients that happen to contain only minute alkaloid residues, and reasonable drug control can coexist with allowing such traditional ingredients.
Explained simply
Poppy seeds come from the opium poppy plant and are used in foods such as breads and seasonings. They can contain tiny traces of opiate substances, including morphine and codeine, even though they are not the same as opium.
Countries set their own rules on importing and selling foods with restricted ingredients. Singapore and South Korea prohibit poppy seeds, so products that can be sold legally elsewhere may be removed from sale there.
Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning is a blend of seeds, salt, garlic and onion. The case matters because online shopping and resale can bring everyday food products across borders where different laws apply.