SINGAPORE – A total of 82 listings on Carousell for a seasoning product that contains poppy seeds have been removed, with the sellers given warnings.
Poppy seeds are classified as prohibited goods by Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) because they come from the opium poppy and can contain traces of controlled drugs.
In a media reply on Aug 10 to The Straits Times, the e-commerce platform said it identified the listings and removed them on Aug 8 following a notice from the CNB on the same day.
“Carousell takes a serious view on the sale of prohibited items, including consumables containing prohibited substances or substances in excess of permitted proportions,” a spokesperson for the platform said in its reply.
ST reported on Aug 7 that Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel seasoning was being sold in Singapore on online platforms, with CNB investigating.
Carousell was among platforms that had listings of the product, ST’s earlier checks showed.
The Korea Herald reported on Aug 4 that South Korean police had blocked the sale of the seasoning product on an online second-hand marketplace, adding that an analysis by the South Korean National Forensic Service found that the product contained poppy seeds and tested positive for morphine and codeine, both of which are controlled narcotic substances in South Korea.
Carousell said it is using keywords to identify and remove new listings of the seasoning, in a “proactive clean-up” of its platform. It added that users may report any listings of the product directly to the platform too.
The spokesperson said Carousell will continue to work with relevant partners and authorities to “help maintain a safe and trusted marketplace” for its users.