Chinese Cabbage Controversy Shakes Food Service Industry
As the survival crisis of self-employed business owners deepens amid persistent high inflation, cost burdens, and shrinking consumer sentiment, the ‘formaldehyde’ controversy surrounding Chinese cabbages has now struck the restaurant industry.Consumer anxiety is rapidly surging as it recently became
The controversy surrounding Chinese cabbages, specifically the use of formaldehyde to maintain freshness during transportation, has shaken the restaurant industry in China. This revelation comes at a time when self-employed business owners are grappling with high inflation, persistent cost burdens, and declining consumer sentiment.
The Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has intensified its inspections for formaldehyde on Chinese cabbage imports since August 24, although no formaldehyde has been detected in the imported cabbages so far.
The use of formaldehyde has reignited concerns over the safety of Chinese food products, a pattern that has persisted for decades. Previous incidents include the detection of parasite eggs in Chinese kimchi in 2005 and a video of a man salting cabbages in a pit, known as 'naked cabbage,' in 2021. These incidents have eroded consumer trust, and the current formaldehyde controversy is likely to add to the growing distrust.
Despite consumer anxiety, the restaurant industry in Korea remains heavily dependent on imported Chinese kimchi due to the significant price difference between domestic and imported products. The import volume of kimchi has reached record highs, with a growth rate of 39.7% over the past five years. 44.1% of domestic restaurants provide imported kimchi for side dishes, and 51.0% use it for cooking menus.
For self-employed business owners, switching to domestic kimchi could mean abandoning operating profits due to the substantial cost difference and the logistical challenges of sourcing and managing domestic products.
Experts believe that the cabbage controversy is not just about individual distributors' illegal acts but exposes the vulnerabilities of the distribution and origin management structure of imported agricultural products. The limitations of management during local purchasing processes, the existence of deceptive distribution practices, and structural instability in domestic agricultural product supply and demand are all contributing factors to the current situation.
Written by urgent.news from BusinessKorea's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
