"Toenail" vs. "Gochu Seed"... Foreign Substance Controversy in Kimchi from Famous Large Corporations

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MFDS Investigates Kimchi Manufacturer's Production Factory

Substance found in kimchi from a major corporation.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] A 2cm-long claw-shaped foreign substance was found in a famous kimchi product from a major domestic conglomerate. The company claims that it is "not a claw but a chili seed."

According to a report by Yonhap News on the 14th, A, a person in their 20s living in Incheon, discovered a dark-colored object inside B Company's whole cabbage kimchi while having dinner with their parents at home earlier this month.

A said, "When I picked up the kimchi with chopsticks, at first there was something soft like squid, and when I touched it with my hand, the texture was similar to my usual bitten fingernails, and the shape was like a claw."

He separated the foreign substance, took a photo, and called B Company the next day to complain. B Company requested that he send the foreign substance for precise analysis, and A complied.

A few days later, B Company explained that after analyzing the foreign substance with an electron microscope, it was identified as a plant material and seemed to be a chili seed.

A said, "The foreign substance contains protein and looks like a claw to anyone. How can it be a chili seed? I have kept part of the foreign substance separately. Should the National Forensic Service analyze it? I want the tested foreign substance sent back immediately."

On the 12th, A reported the matter along with photos to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), and the MFDS is known to have started an investigation into B Company's kimchi factory.

B Company stated, "The analysis showed that the object is thin like a sheet of paper, easily broken, and has an 87.97% match rate with chili seeds, with a similar spectrum. Although we cannot specify the exact agricultural product, we estimate it originated from the raw materials. We have returned the analyzed substance to the customer. If there is doubt about our claim, a third-party institution can be requested for analysis. Although it looks like a claw, it is clearly not a claw. When placed in the analyzer, it immediately shows as a plant."