Chinese Snacks and Bread Found in Local Markets... “Ferrero Rocher Isn’t the Only One”

According to Financial News, bread and confectionery products manufactured in China are being distributed through major domestic supermarkets. The number of imports this year has nearly tripled compared to last year. Some consumers have reported that they were unaware of the country of origin.

Recently, it was revealed that some Ferrero Rocher chocolates, previously thought to be European, are actually produced in China. Additionally, some desserts sold at major domestic supermarkets are also made in China.
According to data from the Imported Food Information Maru of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, from January 1 to November 11 of this year, there were 1,976 cases of bread imported from China. This is a nearly threefold increase from 740 cases during the same period last year.
Among the three major supermarket chains, Emart had the largest volume of imported processed foods from China. Emart imported a total of 252 processed food items from China this year, including bread, surpassing both Lotte Mart and Homeplus. Popular desserts on social media, such as Peelable Mandarin Bun and Peelable Banana-Shaped Bread, were also reportedly imported by Emart.
The Chinese products imported by Emart include a variety of snacks such as jelly beans, Malangjuicy Jelly Bear, Crispy Puff Choco, Crunchy Sweet Potato Chips, Milk Thin Crackers, Savory Rice Snacks, Soft Grape and Mango Jelly, and Bear-Shaped Caramel Popcorn.
Lotte Mart imported 37 processed food items from China this year. Key products include Oneuljoeun Sweet Rice Snack, Oneuljoeun Savory Rice Snack, and Oneuljoeun Barley Snack.
Homeplus imported 31 items. Unlike the other two retailers, its imports did not include bread, confectionery, or candy. Instead, Homeplus focused on products such as dried noodles and peanut-based processed foods.

Meanwhile, Chinese processed foods are being sold in Korea not only through major supermarkets but also via convenience stores, online malls, and various other distribution channels.
Given these circumstances, some consumers have expressed concerns about the origin of these products. Posts on online communities have included comments such as, “I didn’t know the bread at major supermarkets was from China,” and “I check the origin because some convenience store bread is also from China.”

Ferrero Rocher, for its part, stated, “As global demand has increased, our European production lines have reached maximum capacity. To ensure a stable supply to the Korean market, we are operating some lines at our Hangzhou, China factory.” The company emphasized, “Regardless of the country of production, we apply the same global guidelines and quality standards, maintain the core ingredient characteristics, and adhere to the international food safety standard, Food Safety System Certification 22000 (FSSC 22000).”

hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter