Ready-made yukgaejang includes up to 97% of daily sodium intakes

Sodium content in ready-made yukgaejang (hot spicy meat stew) and seolleongtang (stock soup of bone and stew meat) products has turned out to be up to 97 percent of daily recommended intakes. As convenience food products have risen in popularity and consumption since the COVID-19 pandemic began, consumers are advised to stay cautious about selecting and eating such ready-made dishes.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency’s study on the 15 most popular ready-made yukgaejang and seolleongtang products released on Thursday, sodium content per product reaches 48-97 percent of the daily recommended intake of 2,000 milligrams. Carbohydrates, protein and fats show a relatively appropriate level of zero to 36 percent.

Among the products surveyed by the agency, Ottugi “Daegu Yukgaejang” has turned out to have the highest sodium level of 1,940 milligrams, or 97 percent of daily recommendations, followed by E-mart No Brand “Yukgaejang Korean Spicy Beef Stew (96 percent),” Homeplus “Beef Brisket Yukgaejang (96 percent),” Dongwon F&B “Yangban Beef Brisket Yukgaejang (90%)” and CJ Cheiljaedang “Bibigo Yukgaejang (86 percent).” Homeplus “Beef Brisket Seolleongtang” is the highest in sodium content, 61 percent (1,227 milligrams) of daily recommendations, among ready-to-eat seolleongtang products.

The Korea Consumer Agency said that it will advise the involved food providers to improve product quality and description information autonomously while notifying related government bodies of inadequate details of the products. Additionally, it recommended that consumers should divide them in two to three portions and eat bananas, spinach and other fruit and vegetables to help release sodium from the body.


Sung-Jin Park psjin@donga.com