McDonald’s Korea said Monday that it will be cooperating with the Korea Food Safety Association to run an independent nationwide safety check on its stores.

The inspections, to cover 80 items including compliance with food sanitation laws, store facilities, employee sanitation and ingredient inventory management, will come as part of McDonald‘s previously announced plans to strengthen safety at its stores following allegations of products leading to adverse health effects.

The unannounced inspections on the food chain’s 440 stores will run from this month until February. 

The Korea Food Safety Association, established in 2003, is a government-certified organization that focuses on food safety education and information sharing. 

Melanie Joh, who heads McDonald’s Korea, said that the inspections will be an “opportunity for us to see ourselves through an objective perspective and move forward,” and that the company will “continue to work to protect the most important value of food safety.”

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)