Recently, one of our assistant professors in the dietetics program, Sockju Kwon Fogelman, PhD, RD had the opportunity to travel to South Korea and speak with dietetics students at Dong-A University in Pusan, Korea. Dr. Kwon spoke with undergraduate and graduate students and discussed the future of dietitians and current nutrition controversies in Korea. At Missouri State, we encourage our students to think globally and here are two examples of nutrition concerns around the world.
The first issue facing Koreans that Dr. Kwon addressed concerns small verses large grocery stores. Large grocery stores often have competitive pricing on products and provide convenience to customers; as a result, the small grocery stores may suffer. In Korea, several small stores have been put out of business by their larger competitors, which has negatively affected the Korean economy. The government decided to intervene in this situation, so large grocery stores have to close their doors at least twice a month. It is mandated that these stores close. To further help the smaller stores, the city of Seoul suggested restricting the supply of necessary items such as fresh fruits and vegetables to large grocery stores. This type of restriction is only a recommendation, not legally enforced. However, the consumers, suppliers, and large markets show great concerns over lack of convenience, difficulty in distributing fresh fruits and vegetables, and loss of sales, respectively.
The second concern is regarding food safety in Korea. While Dr. Kwon was there, a food safety alert was issued. A lot of consumers became sick because they did not check the expiration date on products, specifically milk products. Koreans frequently get fast food at convenience stores, and in their hurry to pick up beverages, they did not check expiration date. The out-of-date products are a concern, but lack of consumer education on reading expiration dates is also a problem. Korean government enforces grocery and convenient stores not to display anything expired, but the lack of awareness in the public about the severity of food borne illness can be more problematic.