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Photo = Coupang |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] The Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) announced on the 11th that mold was found in Coupang’s subsidiary CPLB’s private brand (PB) product, ‘Gomgom Beef Jerky’ (manufactured by Hongseon), which was sold in December last year.
The product’s expiration date is July 29th of this year. CPLB stated that in response to the Consumer Agency’s recommendation, they halted sales of the product, and in January, they recalled and destroyed all affected products. They also completed exchanges and refunds for customers who purchased the product. The KCA reported that no harm cases have been reported from consumers who bought the product.
Beef jerky is a popular snack, especially as a drinking accompaniment or for camping. However, as it is a semi-dried food with residual moisture, improper storage and handling can easily lead to spoilage.
The KCA noted that between January 2021 and June 2022, a total of 38 harm-related cases involving beef jerky were reported to the Consumer Harm Surveillance System (CISS). These cases mainly involved symptoms such as abdominal pain and hives (19 cases), and mold contamination (12 cases).
As a result, the Consumer Agency tested and analyzed the nutritional content and safety of 18 beef jerky products available on the market. The analysis revealed significant differences in sodium and sugar content across the products.
The sodium content of the beef jerky products ranged from 117 to 248 mg, making up 6-12% of the recommended daily intake (2,000 mg). The sugar content ranged from 0.5 g to 5.6 g, accounting for 1-6% of the recommended daily intake (100 g). Prices for the products varied widely, ranging from 416 KRW to 4,740 KRW for a 15g serving, with a difference of up to 11.4 times.
Alphabiz Reporter Paul Lee(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
