The Ingredient That Lands This Trader Joe's Product On South Korea's Ban List

Everything But the Bagel Seasoning from Trader Joe's is a fan favorite. As a matter of fact, it was awarded the prestigious title of overall favorite product during the grocery store's 2020 customer choice awards, and five years later, the love is still going strong. Thanks to social media, even folks from across the globe are eager to sprinkle some on their avocado toas, but if you reside in South Korea, even a sprinkle is strictly forbidden. The flavorful blend contains a delightful balance of sea salt, flaked onion, flaked garlic, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds. However, that last ingredient is what got it banned from South Korea. 

Poppy seeds are stored in pods that form on the poppy flower — specifically the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). To harvest them, you must remove the pods and slice them open. This releases the seeds from the liquid latex in which they are suspended. The latex, known as opium, is a powerful narcotic from which derivative opioid drugs are made. Although you don't have to worry about the seeds containing opiates, small amounts of the liquid, which contains the naturally occuring opium alkaloids morphine and codeine, may still be present on them after harvesting. Though common processing procedures like washing, toasting, or baking works to further diminish the already minuscule amount of opium that may linger on the seeds, as far as South Korea is concerned, any amount is too much.

Under South Korean law, poppy seeds are considered a narcotic, so importing them or distributing them in the country is highly illegal. "Please note that food products containing poppy seeds, including popular bagel seasoning blends, are considered illegal in Korea," reads a note on the travel guidelines from the U.S. Embassy & Consulate in the Republic of Korea. Bringin poppy seeds into the country can result in fines, entry and exit bans, or imprisonment. It's for this reason that travelers keep getting their Everything But the Bagel Seasoning confiscated at the airport.

Though the seeds have long been banned, the bagel seasoning was added to Korea's list of restricted foods in 2022 to make the point more clearly to travelers. Still, finding the blend in people's personal items has been an ongoing problem for the country's border security. In part, that's due to the blend's popularity as well as the fact that locals on social media have recommended that American travelers bring the contraband as a gift.

Needless to say, America is much more lax about the whole poppy thing. While experts stand by the fact that poppy seeds don't contain enough opiates to alter your state of being, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed those poppy seed drug rumors are true in 2023. That's right, your favorite everything bagel dip recipe could cause you to fail your next drug test. So, beware the poppy seed!