Three Greek yogurt products, which include two private brand (PB) items available at GS25 convenience stores, have been suspended due to the detection of E. coli bacteria levels surpassing the standard.

As per the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS)'s food safety website, GS25's private brand (PB) products, specifically Bagel Greek Yogurt and Kaymak Greek Yogurt, were identified as non-compliant with the E. coli standard. The other is Cham Joeun Greek Yogurt Plain by  Cuore de Papa. 

There are an estimated 500 products that have already been sold to consumers that will need to be recalled, and those that have not yet been sold will be disposed of at each GS25 convenience store.

The number of Greek yogurt products operated by GS25 increased from two in April last year to eight in April this year, and the proportion of  Greek yogurt products' sales out of the total yogurt products increased significantly from 5.2 percent to 37.4 percent during the same period.

In particular, Kaymak Greek Yogurt is a GS25’s PB product that claims to embody the traditional Turkish dessert of kaymak cream with Greek yogurt, and it ranked first in sales among all 26 yogurt products sold by GS25 in April.

"Consumers who have purchased the product should not consume it and return it to the place of purchase or contact the customer service center marked on the product," an MFDS official said. "Sellers who have stored the product should also stop selling it and return it to the manufacturer."