"Participation in Expanding Seafood Consumption, but School Meal Companies 'Perplexed' by Government and Ruling Party Pressure"

Protecting Our Sea Verification TF and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries
Meeting and Win-Win Cooperation Agreement on the 30th
Request to Expand Supply of Seafood for Group Catering
Related Industry 'Watching Closely' Depending on Client Decisions

As concerns rise over the decline in domestic seafood consumption due to Japan's discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean, the government and ruling party have begun encouraging major catering companies to promote seafood consumption. While catering companies sympathize with the intent, they are struggling, stating that they cannot proactively expand seafood supply in their menus without the consent of their client companies' employees. Some argue that it is inappropriate to pressure companies to encourage seafood consumption amid consumer concerns over the contaminated water discharge.

Seong Il-jong, member of the People Power Party and chairman of the Our Sea Protection Verification TF (fifth from the left), is taking a commemorative photo with attendees including Labor Jin, president of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, and Yang Song-hwa, president of the Korea Food Material Distribution Association, at the win-win cooperation agreement ceremony between the Fisheries Cooperative and catering companies to promote seafood consumption held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 30th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 30th, the 'Protect Our Sea Verification Task Force (TF),' chaired by Seong Il-jong, a member of the People Power Party, along with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, held a meeting at the National Assembly with catering companies to promote seafood consumption. Representatives from Pulmuone Food & Culture, CJ Freshway, Ourhome, Samsung Welstory, and Shinsegae Food attended.

This event was planned to stimulate domestic seafood consumption, which is expected to be impacted by Japan's contaminated water discharge. The political and government sectors requested catering companies to expand the use of domestic seafood in group meal menus and to develop recipes utilizing seafood. The fisheries industry agreed to provide high-quality seafood at reasonable prices. In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for win-win cooperation was also signed.

The intentions of the catering companies participating in the agreement are complex. An industry insider said, "There is no disagreement with the purpose of promoting seafood consumption through group meals, but since the structure is to supply ingredients and provide food based on menus requested by client companies, we cannot arbitrarily include or increase seafood in the menus."

Another insider stated, "In group catering, the preprocessing stage of preparing ingredients before cooking is complicated and time-consuming, so menus using seafood, including fish, are rarely offered," adding, "Customers also do not prefer such menus, so it is questionable how effective this measure will be."

Ultimately, the common voice among catering companies is that to expand seafood consumption through group meals, the client companies or organizations must take the lead. If employees using the catering services raise concerns or complaints about seafood menu options, it is difficult for companies or catering providers to respond. Although excluded from this discussion, if seafood is later included in menus at elementary, middle, and high schools where catering companies supply ingredients, there is a high possibility of parental opposition.

However, one insider predicted, "Since the political and government intentions are clear and there are movements within the industry to participate, major companies will likely be urged to expand seafood consumption for the time being." Major economic organizations such as the Korea Economic Research Institute (formerly the Federation of Korean Industries), the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Korea International Trade Association, and the Korea Employers Federation have already launched campaigns targeting member companies to promote seafood consumption and requested expanding the supply of domestic seafood, which is at risk of oversupply in production areas, to corporate group catering.

Professor Lee Young-ae of the Department of Consumer Studies at Incheon National University emphasized, "When consumers have no other options, resolving sensitive issues in a top-down manner like this inevitably causes backlash and confusion among related companies and users," adding, "The focus should first be on verifying safety and providing accurate results to alleviate concerns and reduce market resistance."

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