Bought Front Leg Meat at a Large Mart, but It Was a 'Chunk of Fat'... Company Says "Unintentional Mistake"

Consumer Who Bought Pork Shoulder at Large Mart in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk
Protested Meat Lump... "We Will Exchange or Refund"

A large supermarket in Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk, is facing controversy for selling fatty chunks of meat.

On the 7th, JTBC's 'Sageon Banjang' reported on a bizarre incident experienced by informant A, who lives in Gyeongsan-si and purchased pork front leg meat at a nearby large supermarket at the end of last month. The meat A bought looked like ordinary pork at first glance, but when cut, it was difficult to find any lean meat, as it was filled only with fat.

When A questioned this, the meat counter staff explained, "It was absolutely not intentional, it was a mistake. We will exchange or refund it. If you come, we will give you some more meat." Through 'Sageon Banjang,' A said, "How can they not know this? If they really didn't know, they shouldn't be running a butcher shop." He added, "I haven't gone back to the supermarket yet, and the meat is still as it is. I am reporting this because I experienced such an absurd situation at a large supermarket I usually frequent."

Netizens who saw the story responded with various comments such as, "Whether intentional or accidental, there is a problem," "There have been many reports about fatty meat recently, but large supermarkets that fail to properly manage it are also responsible," and "You shouldn't mess around with food."

Samgyeopsal purchased by customer Mr. B at the mart. Photo by Yonhap News

This is not the first time selling fatty chunks of meat has caused controversy. In July, there was also a claim that a supermarket specializing in agricultural and livestock products sold fatty pork belly. Mr. B, in his 40s, filed a complaint with a district office in Incheon after purchasing pork belly at a nearby supermarket, stating that there was an excessive amount of fat. Photos released by Mr. B showed that more than half of the cross-section of the meat was fat. At that time, the price of pork belly was 2,650 KRW per 100g, and Mr. B reportedly purchased 624g of pork belly with a coupon discount for 14,650 KRW.

In response to the controversy, the supermarket said, "We apologize for this controversy despite managing quality according to headquarters guidelines," adding, "We have informed customers of our refund policy and will pay more attention to livestock product management, including fat removal, while verifying the facts."