Controversy Over Suspected Body Hair Found in Harim 'Matdakgaseumsal'
Harim Denies Allegations, Citing Plant-Based Substance
Consumer Group Urges Stronger Food Safety Management
There have been allegations that foreign substances suspected to be body hair were found in chicken breast products sold by Harim. Harim stated, "It is absolutely not body hair, and test results showed it to be a plant-based organism," adding, "The foreign substance came from the cooking process, not the product itself, and we have communicated this to the consumer."
The Consumer Sovereignty Citizens' Association (Consumer Sovereignty) said in a statement released on the 10th, "Foreign substances have been continuously found in food products sold by the chicken-specialized company ‘Harim’," and urged, "We call for thorough management of foreign substances to ensure consumer safety."
According to the organization, a post was uploaded on a community forum last month claiming that foreign substances suspected to be body hair were found in 'Matdakgaseumsal' manufactured by Harim. The group stated, "The consumer said, 'This is not the first time foreign substances were found in Matdakgaseumsal, and for the first product discovered, Harim responded that it was 'human hair' after analysis.'" It was also explained that another consumer who saw the post shared photos, stating that similar foreign substances were found.
The organization also mentioned cases such as a large number of insects found in raw chicken under the Harim brand in November 2023 and green foreign substances suspected to be 'string' found in 'Yonggari Chicken' in January 2024, stating, "Harim has failed to properly guarantee consumer hygiene and food safety due to repeated detection of foreign substances in food." They urged, "Harim must improve the food safety management system and quality control framework at its Iksan factory to prevent recurrence of foreign substances in food and ensure consumer hygiene and safety."
In response, Harim denied the claims, saying, "This is absolutely not true." They explained that product analysis concluded the substance was food tissue, not animal-based. A Harim representative said, "Hair or body hair can never be present."
They also explained that the environment makes it difficult for foreign substances to enter. A company official said, "The product is produced in Jeongeup, where chicken breast is separated from the chicken and rapidly frozen, so only raw chicken is present in the factory." They added, "The consumer who wrote the post may have introduced the substance during washing with water or while adding herbs during the cooking process."
Furthermore, they said, "The consumer initially posted the complaint out of anger but later said they would remove the post on social media after seeing the analysis results," and added, "The citizen group that issued the statement also said they would make corrections."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
