Nitrogen snacks

  Have you heard about “nitrogen snacks”? Korean confectionery is called nitrogen snack by consumer. Why did this word occur? Confectionery like cookies, biscuits, or snacks needs nitrogen gas packing process to prevent damage from distribution or storage phase. Nitrogen can protect contents from physical damage without chemical reaction, because it is noble gas.

  A controversy of excessive nitrogen packing flares up recently. Consumers criticized the excessive packing severely, and they even boycotted Korean confectionery. Sales volume of imported confectionery in major supermarkets rises sharply, and confectionery shops that deal with imported goods only spring up everywhere. Korean food companies encounter a severe crisis.

   Lately, two  university students cross the Han river by boat which is made with snack. This event went into headline in news and SNS. Consumers think that nitrogen gas packing is excessive packaging. But Food companies assert that nitrogen gas packing is just one of the methods that protect contents.

[Consumer side]

1.    Most of the snacks have poor content.
-Contents make up about lower than 50 percent of total volume in most of Korean confectionery.
-In severe case, make up 20 percent.

2.    Excessive packaging is excuse of price rise

-Food companies raise the prices easily.

-They didn’t lower the prices although the material cost was falling.

-Excessive packaging is deceit of price rise.

                                                             

3.    Korean confectionery is more expensive than same export goods.

-Even there is a quality gap between Korean and export goods.

[Company side]

1.    Protection of the contents

-Nitrogen gas packing is to protect contents from physical and chemical damage.

2.    There are various packaging case by case.

-Small part of fact is exaggerated.

-There are many confectionery packed few or no.

3.    Its products met all legal requirements.

-Legal limit of empty space is 35 percent.

*Check this site to check legal information

      Legal information of Korean food

[ I think..]

Food companies have to solve this problem actively. Most of products have too many packing more than necessary. The main problem is that the price was raised in spite of same contents. I think price-fixing is one of the main reasons of this situation. Korean food companies confer on price increase each other, and pack the goods excessively to deceive consumers by not telling the truth. Food companies should resolve this problem as quickly as possible to regain public trust. It is immoral, and is reprehensible and should stop.

 I recommend Korean consumers to express their anger by boycott. Food companies will not change their behaviors, if there is no financial loss. Consumers should react actively in order to protect their rights.