BANNED GOODS

Trader Joe’s Bagel Mix Being Confiscated Over Narcotics Concerns

The viral Everything but the Bagel seasoning contains poppy seeds, which are a controlled substance in South Korea.

Bagel enthusiasts might want to check they aren’t at risk of becoming unwitting drug mules by traveling to South Korea. That’s after reports customs officials have ratcheted up seizures of Trader Joe’s viral Everything but the Bagel mix under the East Asian country’s anti-narcotics laws, which are some of the strictest in the world. The seasoning contains poppy seeds, which South Korea has designated a controlled substance. Though the seeds don’t actually contain high-inducing opium, they can produce a positive urine result, and authorities are apparently concerned that samples could be contaminated with other substances. The Guardian reported that signs at Seoul’s Incheon international airport have even gone so far as to warn people specifically against bringing the Trader Joe’s mix into the country. South Korea isn’t alone in this, however, with poppy seeds also banned in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, and the UAE.