Labeling Rule Angers Restaurant Operators
By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
New rules requiring all restaurants to specify the country of origin of beef used in meat based dishes is angering owners, who are skeptical about the efficacy of the new labeling rule, calling it ``nonsensical.''
From July, all restaurants must indicate the origin of all beef they use to allow customers to choose between Korean and imported beef. Previously, only eateries with a floor space of 100 square meters were required to do this.
Hamburger patties and other fast food meats are also subject to the new rule.
Cafeterias linked to organizations with staff of more than 50 will also have to abide by the labeling rule.
Initial reaction from most owners was negative as they said the new rule lacks precise guidelines.
``It's annoying. We haven't received any guidelines whatsoever from the government,'' said Lee Mi-ja, who runs the Korean restaurant Sarangchae in Sinchon, Seoul.
Lee is notifying her customers about her main dishes, which contain beef from Australia and Chile.
``It's okay to specify the origin of grilled meat customers eat. But it's too much to show the origin of all side dishes and soup as well,'' she complained.
Her restaurant serves a total of 19 dishes, seven of which include beef. Six side dishes also contain beef ingredients. Now, she has to make a whole new menu to clarify which dishes use ingredients from where.
``It's ridiculous and confusing. The menu will too thick and we will have to update it every time we change ingredients,'' she said.
Kim Sang-hun, owner of the Korea grill restaurant, Miga Saebyeokjib, in Bangbae-dong, southern Seoul also called the rule nonsensical. ``It seems as if those with no idea about running a restaurant came up with such regulations.''
He called them typical bureaucratic policy, which was ignorant of real-life business. ``You may need to use beef and bones from cows from different countries in some dishes. How do you put such information on the menu every time you change your ingredients?''
Shortage of Inspectors
The new origin labeling has been prepared ahead of the resumption of U.S. beef imports as Korean consumers have voiced concerns over safety issues. Consequently, restaurant owners have had little time to prepare.
``We understand the difficulty that people have now,'' said Kim Jong-sil, a deputy director at the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. ``We're doing our best to minimize the confusion. Before full implementation, we'll have some time to issue proper guidelines.''
Under the new rules, those who misrepresent the origin of food can face a maximum jail term of three years or a maximum fine of 30 million won ($30,000).
However, critics point out that the ministry doesn't have sufficient manpower to inspect restaurants.
In Seoul alone, about 130,000 restaurants have to abide by the new rule. If cafeterias are included, the number will rise to over 640,000 across the nation, while only about 600 staff are available for inspections. The central government plans to raise the number of inspectors to 1,000.
``It's true that the new rules will be confusing for restaurant owners,'' said an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government. ``We know most restaurants will have difficulty implementing them and so in the initial stages, we won't apply the rule too strictly.''
Sanctions against food makers or restaurant owners violating the current rules on the country origin of beef and other food have been relatively lenient, with most of them being fined less than 3 million won.
``It's hard to impose the maximum penalty on those who run a small restaurant although the issue is quite serious,'' a judge said. ``Most cases have been non-contested prosecutions, which often result in fines,'' a judge said.