diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/BulkImport.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/BulkImport.java
index 491039cff83..6b1e6d42a09 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/BulkImport.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/BulkImport.java
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 import static org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils.isAllBlank;
 import static org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils.isBlank;
 import static org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils.isNotBlank;
-import static org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils.split;
+import static org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils.splitByWholeSeparator;
 import static org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils.startsWith;
 import static org.apache.commons.lang3.exception.ExceptionUtils.getRootCauseMessage;
 import static org.apache.commons.lang3.math.NumberUtils.isCreatable;
@@ -609,7 +609,8 @@ private boolean areMetadataValuesValid(Row row, boolean manyMetadataValuesAllowe
         for (int index = firstMetadataIndex; index < row.getLastCellNum(); index++) {
 
             String cellValue = WorkbookUtils.getCellValue(row, index);
-            String[] values = isNotBlank(cellValue) ? split(cellValue, METADATA_SEPARATOR) : new String[] { "" };
+            String[] values = isNotBlank(cellValue) ? splitByWholeSeparator(cellValue, METADATA_SEPARATOR)
+                : new String[] { "" };
             if (values.length > 1 && !manyMetadataValuesAllowed) {
                 handleValidationErrorOnRow(row, "Multiple metadata value on the same cell not allowed "
                     + "in the metadata group sheets: " + cellValue);
@@ -743,7 +744,7 @@ private List<String> validateAccessConditions(Row row) {
         Map<String, AccessConditionOption> accessConditionOptions = getUploadAccessConditions();
 
         return Arrays.stream(getAccessConditionValues(row))
-            .map(accessCondition -> split(accessCondition, ACCESS_CONDITION_ATTRIBUTES_SEPARATOR)[0])
+            .map(accessCondition -> splitByWholeSeparator(accessCondition, ACCESS_CONDITION_ATTRIBUTES_SEPARATOR)[0])
             .filter(accessConditionName -> !accessConditionOptions.containsKey(accessConditionName))
             .collect(Collectors.toList());
     }
@@ -788,14 +789,14 @@ private List<AccessCondition> buildAccessConditions(Row row, String[] accessCond
         }
 
         return Arrays.stream(accessConditions)
-            .map(accessCondition -> split(accessCondition, ACCESS_CONDITION_ATTRIBUTES_SEPARATOR))
+            .map(accessCondition -> splitByWholeSeparator(accessCondition, ACCESS_CONDITION_ATTRIBUTES_SEPARATOR))
             .map(accessConditionAttributes -> buildAccessCondition(accessConditionAttributes))
             .collect(Collectors.toList());
     }
 
     private String[] getAccessConditionValues(Row row) {
         String accessConditionCellValue = getCellValue(row, ACCESS_CONDITION_HEADER);
-        return split(accessConditionCellValue, METADATA_SEPARATOR);
+        return splitByWholeSeparator(accessConditionCellValue, METADATA_SEPARATOR);
     }
 
     private AccessCondition buildAccessCondition(String[] accessCondition) {
@@ -1306,12 +1307,13 @@ private void removeSingleMetadata(DSpaceObject dso, MetadataField field, String
     }
 
     private String getMetadataField(String field) {
-        return field.contains(LANGUAGE_SEPARATOR_PREFIX) ? split(field, LANGUAGE_SEPARATOR_PREFIX)[0] : field;
+        return field.contains(LANGUAGE_SEPARATOR_PREFIX) ? splitByWholeSeparator(field, LANGUAGE_SEPARATOR_PREFIX)[0]
+            : field;
     }
 
     private String getMetadataLanguage(String field) {
         if (field.contains(LANGUAGE_SEPARATOR_PREFIX)) {
-            return split(field, LANGUAGE_SEPARATOR_PREFIX)[1].replace(LANGUAGE_SEPARATOR_SUFFIX, "");
+            return splitByWholeSeparator(field, LANGUAGE_SEPARATOR_PREFIX)[1].replace(LANGUAGE_SEPARATOR_SUFFIX, "");
         }
         return null;
     }
@@ -1364,7 +1366,8 @@ private MultiValuedMap<String, MetadataValueVO> getMetadataFromRow(Row row, Map<
             if (index >= firstMetadataIndex) {
 
                 String cellValue = WorkbookUtils.getCellValue(row, index);
-                String[] values = isNotBlank(cellValue) ? split(cellValue, METADATA_SEPARATOR) : new String[] { "" };
+                String[] values = isNotBlank(cellValue) ? splitByWholeSeparator(cellValue, METADATA_SEPARATOR)
+                    : new String[] { "" };
 
                 List<MetadataValueVO> metadataValues = Arrays.stream(values)
                     .map(value -> buildMetadataValueVO(row, value, isMetadataGroupsSheet))