Spicy frozen late-night snacks sold in South Korea vary widely in heat and nutritional content, with a single pack containing as much as 84% of the daily sodium reference value and up to 117% of the daily cholesterol limit, a consumer watchdog said.
The Korea Consumer Agency said on the 20th that it tested 11 spicy frozen late-night snack products — six chicken feet and five grilled pork intestine items — and found capsaicinoid content ranging from 23 to 56 milligrams per kilogram, a gap of up to 2.4 times. Ten of the products registered heat equivalent to level 1 on the gochujang spiciness scale, while Nonghyup Mokwoochon's Saengsaeng Pocha Grilled Boneless Chicken Feet measured level 2, the spiciest in the test.
Sodium and cholesterol levels ran high across the lineup. Sodium per pack ranged from 929 to 1,682 milligrams, or 46% to 84% of the daily reference value of 2,000 milligrams. Dongwon F&B's Simya Sikdang Spicy Pork Intestine contained the most at 1,682 milligrams. In a consumer survey, 45.3% of respondents said they eat two packs at a time, which would push sodium intake to as much as 3,364 milligrams, or 168% of the daily reference value.
Cholesterol ranged from 113 to 351 milligrams per pack, equal to 38% to 117% of the daily reference value. Lotte Shopping's Yorihada Spicy Pork Intestine was highest at 351 milligrams. The agency noted that 69.1% of consumers said they eat spicy frozen snacks as a side dish with alcohol and 53.0% said they eat them as a late-night snack, meaning many are consuming them on top of a full meal.
All 11 products met safety standards. Tests for heavy metals, benzopyrene, bacterial counts and E. coli found no product in breach of the limits. Prices ranged from 5,380 won to 9,900 won per pack for chicken feet and from 5,500 won to 8,980 won for pork intestine, a difference of as much as 1.8 times within the same category.
The agency urged consumers to check heat levels and nutritional labels before buying, and to take particular care not to over-consume sodium and cholesterol.