High Sodium Content in 'Milkit'... Seoul City Advises, "Leave the Broth"

Investigation of 100 Best-Selling Meal Kits
Average 'Daily Sodium Intake Standard' 53~138%

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 27th that it conducted a sodium content survey on 100 popular meal kit products preferred by consumers, revealing that the average sodium content per serving ranged from 53% to 138% of the daily recommended intake (2000 mg). The city urged consumers to reduce sodium intake during meals.

To disclose nutritional information of increasingly consumed foods to citizens, Seoul selected four commonly sold product categories at large supermarkets (Gambas Al Ajillo, Budae Jjigae, Bulgogi Jeongol, and Jjamppong varieties). The city collected 100 products searchable as "easy cooking sets" on the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s Food Safety Portal and tested their sodium content at the city’s Health and Environment Research Institute.

As a result of testing these 100 meal kit products (22 Gambas Al Ajillo, 33 Budae Jjigae, 23 Bulgogi Jeongol, and 22 Jjamppong varieties), 51 products exceeded the daily sodium standard (2000 mg) per serving. These included 31 Budae Jjigae (31/33), 6 Bulgogi Jeongol (6/23), and 14 Jjamppong varieties (14/22).

The average sodium content per serving by category was 2762 mg for Budae Jjigae, 2610 mg for Jjamppong varieties, 1560 mg for Bulgogi Jeongol, and 1066 mg for Gambas Al Ajillo, indicating sodium levels ranging from 53% to a maximum of 138% of the daily recommended intake (2000 mg).

Seoul also checked whether these 100 products displayed nutritional information. The survey found that only 21 products (21%) voluntarily displayed nutritional information on packaging or sales websites. Accordingly, the city plans to encourage manufacturers to voluntarily provide nutritional labeling so consumers can check nutritional information before purchasing.

Additionally, the city advised citizens to reduce sodium intake when consuming meal kits by ▲ following the included cooking instructions but adjusting the amount of seasoning ▲ adding vegetables that help excrete sodium during cooking or consumption ▲ consuming less broth in soup products ▲ and checking nutritional information before purchase.

Park Yumi, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Citizen Health Bureau, stated, “We hope citizens actively practice sodium reduction dietary habits by reducing seasoning or adding vegetables when consuming meal kits for their health. Seoul will continue to do its best to promote healthy eating habits.”

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