'Tongsal' and 'Kkwakchan' Sweet and Sour Pork... Meat Content Less Than Half

6 out of 20 Commercial Products Contain Less Than 50%
Even 1% Sirloin Can Be Labeled as 'Deungsim Tangsuyuk'
"Companies and Government Must Strengthen Content and Labeling Standards"

As ready-to-eat meals become more popular, sales of 'frozen tangsuyuk' are increasing, but a recent investigation revealed that most of the currently available products contain less than half meat content. Despite using low-content raw materials, phrases such as 'the original taste of meat' and 'filled with sirloin' are displayed and advertised, causing confusion among consumers.

On the 10th, the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice randomly selected 20 products from 20 domestic manufacturers available through online shopping malls and local supermarkets to conduct an investigation into the meat content of frozen tangsuyuk.

The average meat content of the 20 frozen tangsuyuk products surveyed was 48.5%. The lowest meat content was 33.84%, and the highest was 58.85%. Six out of the 20 products did not exceed 50% meat content.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Even if the main ingredient of frozen tangsuyuk does not exceed 50%, there are no proper laws or regulations defining the content, leading to situations where raw material names such as 'pork', 'whole meat', and 'sirloin' are used as product names to mislead consumers.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's 'Standards for Food Labeling' stipulates that raw material names can be used as part of the product name, and when two or more types of meat (breed or cut) are included, the most abundant type can be used as the product name. However, there is no standard for content, so if only 1% of sirloin is included as a single meat, it can still be called 'sirloin tangsuyuk.'

Even if consumers check the information label (back side) to know the exact meat content of frozen tangsuyuk, it is common for the content not to be indicated. When raw material names are used in the product name, the content can be listed on the main label (front side) and omitted on the information label. Consumers must endure the inconvenience of checking both the main label (front) and the information label (back) according to the product name when comparing products.

The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice stated, "Frozen tangsuyuk manufacturers should produce food that meets consumer expectations rather than just promoting products," and added, "Even if omission is allowed, content should be indicated on the information label so that food information can be understood at a glance."

They continued, "The government should strengthen food labeling standards by requiring all food information to be indicated on the information label without exception to prevent consumer misunderstanding," emphasizing, "Clear standards for the content of raw materials that are the main ingredients of food must also be established."