Korean kimchi banned in China
The Korea Times reports that China has slapped an import ban on South Korean-made kimchi and side dishes in retaliation against Seoul’s steps to strengthen quarantine against Chinese kimchi following the discovery of parasite eggs in them.
The products banned by Beijing included kimchi, red-pepper paste and seasoning for pulgogi, produced by 10 companies. The ban came a day after the Chinese authorities announced on Monday that parasite eggs were discovered in the South Korean food made from red peppers and cabbage.
In response, the Seoul government said on Tuesday that it will conduct investigations into the affected products to determine the truth of the allegations, while trying to hold a high-level consultative meeting to resolve the looming "kimchi trade war" before it gets out of hand. Read more here.
NHK notes that the South Korean Government has questioned the credibility of China's announcement that parasite eggs were discovered in food products imported from South Korea.
Seems this has become a matter of pride, where the Chinese authorities are desperately trying to save face, and consumers are losing faith in cheap imported foods as a result. Inspections are the best way to make sure that food exporters take hygiene issues seriously.
Kimchi previous.
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