‘Poultry Meal’ and ‘Fish Oil’ Used in Pet Food... 57.9% of Consumers "Do Not Understand"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] Concerns have been raised that consumer understanding is low regarding terms listed as raw materials for pet food, such as gyeyukbun, eoyu, and eobun, and that improvements are needed.

The Korea Consumer Agency announced on the 16th that it conducted a survey on consumption status and opinions from October 8 to 18 last year, targeting 2,000 consumers who had purchased pet food within the past year. The results showed that 57.9% of consumers did not accurately understand the meanings of the raw material terms.

When the same raw material was labeled with multiple names such as gyeyukbun (chicken meat powder, chicken meat flour, chicken meat powder), 36.7% of consumers responded that the meanings were different. Additionally, 21.2% answered that they were unsure. In the survey on understanding of major raw material terms, expressions like gyeyukbun (4.2%), eoyu (5.4%), and eobun (6.7%) showed low comprehension. On the other hand, more familiar terms such as chicken meat powder (61.3%), fish oil (55.9%), and dried fish (93.3%) were easier for consumers to understand.

In the survey on understanding of major raw material terms, expressions like gyeyukbun (4.2%), eoyu (5.4%), and eobun (6.7%) showed low comprehension, while more familiar terms such as chicken meat powder (61.3%), fish oil (55.9%), and dried fish (93.3%) were easier to understand.

Respondents rated the importance of mandatory labeling items such as feed ingredient registration numbers and names, with shelf life (4.33 points) considered the most important, followed by manufacturing date (4.29 points), registered ingredient quantity (4.15 points), feed usage (4.14 points), and raw material names (4.10 points). When asked about additional necessary labels, respondents indicated the need for raw material content (4.20 points), raw material origin (4.16 points), and pet feeding methods (4.10 points).

The most common purchase channel for pet food was online at 63%, followed by pet specialty stores (18.8%) and large supermarkets (12.1%). The most considered labeling factor when purchasing was the presence of certification marks (25.6%), followed by nutritional content labeling (25%), main raw ingredient labeling (18.8%), and origin labeling (9.8%).

In the online advertising survey, one product was found to have used the expression "has the effect of preventing a specific disease (urinary stones)," which is prohibited under relevant standards. Two products showed discrepancies between the ingredient and registered quantity information displayed online and on product packaging, indicating a need for consumer guidance.

The Korea Consumer Agency stated, "Based on the survey results, we will propose to relevant authorities the development of measures to replace difficult-to-understand raw material names in pet food with simpler terms, and recommend that the industry voluntarily improve product labeling and advertising."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.