Industry argues policy against fried chicken 'shrinkflation' ineffective

The precooked weight of chickens is now under stricter government monitoring to prevent fried chicken franchises from using smaller portions while raising prices to increase revenue. gettyimagesbank

A government regulation requiring some fried chicken franchise chains to disclose the precooked weight of chicken in an order, aimed at curbing "shrinkflation" is drawing criticism from the industry, which argues the measure is ineffective and unfair.

Shrinkflation is the practice of reducing the size or quantity of a product while prices stay the same. Under the labeling system introduced by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety last month, 10 companies, including the country’s three largest brands — BHC, Genesis BBQ and Kyochon — are required to display the weight of chickens prior to cooking to correctly inform customers of portion sizes.

Industry players, however, say the system fails to provide consumers with a clear picture of how much chicken they actually receive, citing differences in labeling methods and cooking practices across brands.

One issue is that the weight of the chicken before cooking does not reflect the amount of food ultimately consumed, with inedible parts such as bones and excess fat removed during preparation. The application of seasoning and batter, as well as variations in frying time, further alter the final weight, making it difficult for consumers to gauge portion size based on raw weight alone.

Nonstandardized methods of labeling the information by the companies also confuse the consumers. The regulation required the firms to display the information in either grams or weight-based standardized grades called “ho.” The smallest grade in the national standard, one ho, covers chickens weighing between 451 and 550 grams, which are mostly used for making traditional Korean soups like samgyetang. The most common size for fried chicken franchises is 10 ho, between 951 and 1,050 grams.

This framework, however, does not always align with industry practices. Boneless chicken menus often use trimmed meat from multiple chickens, making it impractical to apply the regulations. Some brands, particularly for mixed platters featuring different cuts such as wings and drumsticks, opt to disclose the number of pieces instead of weight-based information.

Actress Han So-hee promotes BHC's Sweet Chili King chicken. Courtesy of Dining Brands Group

Even if most companies comply with gram-based labeling, it does not guarantee the same quantity or quality across brands. Even beginning with the same size of chicken, differences in cooking style can result in significantly different final weights. This discrepancy ultimately undermines the usefulness of the precooked labeling system from a consumer perspective.

“They all use different recipes,” said an official from one of the industry’s largest brands, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Some fry the chicken longer, some use thinner batter, while others apply thicker coatings to increase volume. Depending on the recipe, the final weight can vary widely.”

Industry experts also said the government introduced the regulation too quickly. President Lee Jae Myung criticized shrinkflation during a Cabinet meeting in November, following a controversy involving Kyochon. In September, the company reduced the portion size of four boneless chicken menu items from 700 grams to 500 grams without notifying customers. It also began mixing chicken breast with dark meat in products that had previously used only drumsticks, raising concerns over changes in quality. Lee ordered authorities to “respond to practices such as shrinkflation that deceive customers.”

“Although the issue originated with Kyochon, the government’s premature policy treated all other brands as if they had engaged in the same practice, which is unfair,” the official said.

“The list of 10 companies subject to the labeling requirement also excludes major brands such as Puradak, 60chicken and Norang Tongdak. If the government intended to enforce the system, it should have applied it across the board. These 10 companies account for only about 35 percent of the country’s fried chicken franchise market.”

Experts said the labeling system is ill-suited to fried chicken and would work better for foods such as jokbal, or braised pig’s feet, and bossam, or boiled pork, which lack standardized weight disclosures.