◀ anchor ▶
“At a kimchi factory operated by a subsidiary of a famous domestic kimchi specialized company, kimchi is made from cabbage that has changed color and has become bruised.”
Public interest reporters sent this tip to MBC.
In fact, we obtained videos of handling bad cabbages and radishes at the factory, but only the deteriorated parts were cut out and kimchi was being made.
First, reporter Lee Mun-hyun conducted an exclusive coverage.
◀ Report ▶
[지난 1월 12일]
A worker keeps peeling dark cabbage leaves.
Even the inside of the cabbage is discolored.
[작업자]
“I can’t do it all.”
Additional Chinese cabbages are also in a similar condition.
“Oh, it’s dirty.”
[2021년 10월 8일]
The video was taken in October of last year.
I pickled cabbage for kimchi and piled it up one by one, but the colors are all blotchy.
[작업자]
“Is it okay if we tell us to hand over these things to us? Isn’t it impossible? So…”
Workers also say “I smell hoarse”.
[작업자]
“I said I’m hoarse, but it’s okay to be hoarse… But what can I say…”
[2021년 10월 16일]
Moodles also turned ocher to the inside.
[작업자]
“The child is dirty.”
After the operator cuts out the stale parts, the remaining radish shape is all lumpy.
[2021년 12월 16일]
The white cross section of the cut radish is full of purple spots.
[작업자]
“I don’t eat it. All radishes are like that. Only garbage comes out.”
(Written on January 17th)
In the factory’s own inspection report, “8 out of 10 are rotten when cut inside”,
(Written on June 30, 2021)
It is also stated that radishes are “mostly rotten and white mold is observed”.
The factory also seems to have sanitation problems.
(21.11.09)
The box containing radish for kkakdugi has dark scale and mold.
The box that stores the finished packaged kimchi has caterpillar eggs.
You can also see mold on wheatgrass that is stored in the refrigerator.
There is also mold everywhere on the upper part of the ‘metal detector’ that lets the kimchi pass through just before packaging.
All of these videos were filmed by a public interest reporter at a kimchi factory in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, operated by a subsidiary of Hansung Food, a company specializing in kimchi, from October last year to January this year.
[공익신고자]
“It’s very unconscionable to cook with these things. It’s the kimchi that (advertisement) and (sells) ‘Korean Master Master’ like this…”
Hansung Foods makes kimchi in four factories, including three directly managed factories and one affiliated with a subsidiary, but a problem occurred at the subsidiary’s factory.
[공익신고자]
“I can’t eat it. It’s the kind of food that people eat, but I can’t eat it, so how can I tell other people how to eat it?”
About 70% of the kimchi produced at the plant is exported overseas, and the rest is supplied to large catering companies, a general hospital in Seoul, and famous resort chains in Korea.
They were also sold directly to consumers through home shopping.
Hansung Food, a company specializing in kimchi for over 30 years since its establishment, has received various patents and hygiene-related certifications with sales of 50 billion won in 2020.
The certified reporter reported this situation to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission last month, and MBC handed over the videos, photos, and various materials it obtained to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety visited the plant today and started an on-site investigation.
This is Lee Moon-hyun from MBC News.
Video coverage: Kim Dong-se / Video editing: Kom-geun
◀ anchor ▶
The kimchi factory, run by a subsidiary of Hansung Foods, initially claimed that it was a “malicious report” when the coverage began.
However, in the end, they admitted that they used low-quality ingredients, and Hansung Foods, the parent company, said, “This is a problem that only occurred in one of the four factories operated by the subsidiary,” and “We will correct it immediately.”
Reporter Ko Jae-min covered the story.
◀ Report ▶
I went to the kimchi factory in question.
When I showed him the bad cabbage video, he called it “a malicious report.”
The video was taken only on the day the rotten cabbage arrived, and all the damaged parts were cut out and not used in actual kimchi.
[한성식품 자회사 관계자 A]
“Who took the picture on the day the rotten cabbage came in. If you say ‘This type of cabbage comes in,’ you were filming this. Maliciously.”
As for the pickled cabbages that were speckled in color, he said, “I didn’t use them and threw them all away.”
However, another official said differently.
[한성식품 자회사 관계자 B]
“Actually, if you look at it upside down like this, there may be some clean kids on the inside. Scratch as much as possible to scratch the outside.”
The moldy wheat grass was claimed to be “video taken on a summer day when the freezer broke down.”
[한성식품 자회사 관계자 A]
“In the summer, these refrigeration devices break down easily.”
However, when it was revealed that it was “a video taken in November,” he changed the word to “It was used grass, and it was discarded.”
[한성식품 자회사 관계자 A]
“I made 4 copies of what I can use 2 at a time, then the time runs out and I can’t use them.”
As the coverage continued, the parent company, Hansung Foods and its subsidiaries eventually said, “We were responsible for the management,” and “Apologizes to consumers.”
[한성식품 자회사 임원]
“To say that the quality of raw materials is so low in the sense of common sense from an aesthetic point of view, this is really apologetic and wrong…”
However, he explained, “The parts that are rotten or inedible are cut out and discarded during the material handling process, so they are not used in the finished kimchi.”
Hansung Foods also said, “The total sales are about 55 billion won, but the factory in question is about 5 billion won, which is less than 10%,” said Hansung Food. ‘ he claimed.
[한성식품 부사장]
“(Chairman) doesn’t want to make excuses, and the management of raw materials (materials) was insufficient. I will correct it immediately. From now on. And from now on, any problematic cabbage should be discarded and used…”
This is Jaemin Ko from MBC News.
Video coverage: Kang Jong-su, Na Kyung-woon / Video editing: Kim Ha-eun
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