[Reporter’s Notebook] Raw Pork Fat Companies Change Their Story, Threatening Public Dining Tables

Raw Pork Fat Sold as Edible Despite Violating Distribution Standards

Companies Rushed to Alter Labels and Ads After Report

Police Consider Centralized Investigation: "A Threat to Public Health"

"We recognize this as a serious matter that threatens the public's right to health."

Following this newspaper's report on companies distributing and selling raw pork fat (donji—pork lard) that does not meet edible standards as cooking ingredients, the police have launched an investigation and made this statement. The case will be transferred to local police stations in each jurisdiction, including Seoul, Gyeongbuk, Daegu, and other regions across the country, to investigate the scattered companies. The police are also considering a focused investigation. According to the officer who first received the related complaint, "In order to improve investigative efficiency, I plan to recommend a focused investigation that would allow one agency to combine and handle these cases."

This newspaper reported that raw pork fat, which should be used only as a material for manufacturing edible lard, was distributed in the market in violation of the Korea Food and Drug Administration’s standards for acid value. Acid value is an indicator of oil freshness and rancidity. Some companies even packaged raw pork fat to appear as premium brand lard and sold it as such. They actively promoted its use in stir-fried and pan-fried dishes. It was also supplied to luxury sections of department stores and distributed in the offline market.

Immediately after the report, the companies rushed to erase traces by correcting labeling or halting sales. Their confident stance at the time of the interview—insisting "there is no problem"—shifted completely. One supplier and one distributor corrected their labeling and advertising, while two companies stopped selling the product altogether. One distributor changed its supplier and claimed, "Our company sells edible lard, not raw pork fat." Consumers who trusted the previous explanations and bought the products are likely to continue consuming items that do not meet safety standards without realizing the issue.

There are indications that some parties knowingly violated the standards. One company argued to a reporter, "Because it undergoes less chemical refining, it is actually safer and tastier." Using the rationale that refining would reduce flavor, they disparaged legitimate companies. This claim has no scientific basis. In response, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated that it is not convincing to claim safety without meeting the standards.

Food products distributed in the market must meet strict safety standards. This is because food safety is directly linked to the public's right to health. If there are no standards, responsibility in the distribution process becomes ambiguous. In particular, even if oils become rancid, ordinary people cannot easily detect abnormalities through smell or color alone. Safety standards serve as the minimum safety net that prevents unverified and substandard food from reaching the public’s table.

The standards set by law are obligations, not recommendations. If the practice of ignoring standards for the sake of convenience continues, it is consumers who will ultimately suffer the consequences. Taste and profit can never be put ahead of public safety.

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