what is mandatory chicken weight labeling?
the government is actively considering mandatory weight labeling for the chicken industry. If you've been ordering chicken by the piece or two, you may soon be ordering by the gram. The reason behind the chicken weight labeling debate is the issue of shrinkage inflation, which has become a big social issue recently.
how the shrinkflation debate started
chicken shrinkflation refers to the practice of reducing the size or amount of chicken served while keeping the price the same. For the consumer, it's effectively a price increase because they're getting less for the same price.
last September, a chicken franchise broke the news when it drastically reduced the weight of some of its all-bone-in chicken items from 900 grams to 500 grams, but kept the price the same. When you do the math, that's about a 30% increase in the effective price to the consumer. Naturally, the brand faced a lot of criticism for gimmicky price increases, and eventually the brand reinstated the weight of the chicken.
this incident brought the issue of weight labeling to the forefront of the chicken industry as a whole, with consumers demanding to know the exact amount of chicken they are buying.
government regulations and changes
the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Forestry and Rural Affairs, the Korea Fair Trade Commission, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety worked together to take measures to address the chicken shrinkage issue.
the most important change is that the sales criteria for packaged and delivered chicken will be changed from the number of birds to the weight. If you ordered one chicken, you can now specify a specific weight, such as 900 grams.
this will make it harder for companies to sneakily reduce the size of their chickens while maintaining the price, and it will make the chicken trade more transparent as consumers will be able to see the exact weight they are buying.
once the government's regulated chicken policy is fully implemented, the weight of chicken deliveries should also be clearly labeled, so that consumers can see the weight of their order when ordering from delivery apps.
the chicken industry's position and practical challenges
the chicken industry says that it's not easy to implement a weight labeling system. The main problem is that the standard is the weight of raw chicken before cooking.
during the cooking process of frying or baking, the chicken loses water and oil, and the final weight of the same No. 10 chicken can vary depending on the cooking method and temperature. For example, fried, marinated, and oven-baked chicken have different cooking methods, so even if you start with the same raw chicken, the finished weight will be different.
from a consumer perspective, there is a concern that a chicken labeled as 900 grams may feel underweight when it is actually eaten, and it can also be an operational burden for franchisees to manually weigh and label each chicken before cooking.
the issue of weight labeling in the chicken industry is not a simple matter of writing down a number, but a complex one that requires consideration of the specifics of the cooking process.
the impact on consumers
how would mandatory chicken weight labeling change things for consumers?
first of all, consumers will be able to accurately compare price and quantity: if brand A costs 20,000 won for 900 grams and brand B costs 18,000 won for 800 grams, they can calculate the price per gram and decide which one is more reasonable. The extension of food weight labeling to chicken will strengthen consumers' right to know.
however, it's worth noting that there may be discrepancies between the pre-cooked weight and the actual weight of the chicken you receive, so it may take some trial and error before the policy is fully implemented, so it's important to stay tuned and be a smart consumer.
you can also check out our recent article on shrinkage inflation in the food industry or our article on eating out.
frequently asked questions
Q. when will the mandatory chicken weight labeling be enforced?
A. The relevant ministries are currently reviewing the specific implementation plan. The exact date of implementation will be announced at a later date, so please check the government announcement.
Q. will weight labeling apply to all chicken brands?
A. It is being discussed for companies that sell takeout and delivery chicken. The detailed scope of application will be clarified when the policy is finalized.
Q. why is the weight displayed before cooking instead of after cooking?
A. Because the weight of the finished product varies depending on the cooking method, we are using the weight of the raw chicken before cooking as the standard for consistency.
Q. does Shrinkflation apply to other foods besides chicken?
A. There have been controversies about shrinkage in various food products such as sweets and beverages, and the government is increasing its monitoring of food products in general.
Q. how can consumers check the weight labeling?
A. After the policy is implemented, weight information will be displayed on menu boards, delivery apps, and packaging.
wrapping up
the mandatory chicken weight labeling is the first step towards ensuring consumers' right to know and creating a transparent transaction environment. Be an informed consumer by paying attention to the changes in the way you order your chicken.
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