 | |
A Korea Food and Drug Administration official inspects Chinese-made kimchi in a cold storage warehouse in Incheon.
|
 |
|
Amid a surge in the price of cabbage to around W4,000 per head before the traditional kimchi-making season, imported kimchi from China hit a record high last month of 23,120 tons.
According to the Korea Customs Service, monthly average imports of kimchi from China is 15,900 tons so far this year, but the post-Chuseok surge in cabbage prices has led to a jump in imports of the pickled cabbage dish. "Amid the upward rally of domestic cabbage prices, more and more companies are looking to China for cheaper supplies," said a kimchi importer. That means imports are likely to continue to rise for the foreseeable future.
As of October, some 166,639 tons of kimchi has been shipped from China to Korea this year. That means each Korean has eaten more than 3.47 kg of Chinese kimchi, intentionally or otherwise. In 2002 only 1,000 tons of kimchi was imported from China, but that figured jumped to 70,000 tons in 2004, 110,000 tons in 2005 and 170,000 tons in 2006. That's an increase of 17- to 18-fold in just five years.
Even a 2005 uproar over lead and parasite eggs found in kimchi shipments from China didn't put a damper on the imports. The success of Chinese kimchi in Korea is ultimately attributable to its cheaper price. "Kimchi made in China costs around W800 to W1,000 per kg, while domestic kimchi is about two or three times more expensive, leaving restaurants few options but to buy the Chinese version," said a kimchi importer. With a 40-50 percent rise in demand for pre-made kimchi following the recent leap in cabbage prices, a growing number of Korean consumers now opt for kimchi made in China instead of kimchi made in Korea.
Is kimchi from China safe to eat? While distribution and inspection processes are said to have become more transparent and scrupulous, large numbers of consumers are still worried. In fact, some kimchi importers have been caught selling Chinese kimchi as Korean.
"Kimchi from China is not only sold to restaurants but also to cafeterias in middle and high school across the country," said an insider from a domestic kimchi provider. "China's production process itself is unknown to us, so we should step up inspections on imported goods.Ħħ Importers counter that the cabbages and vegetables used to make kimchi from China are grown from Korean seeds, arguing that there should be no problems as long as consumers know the true place of origin.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
