"Kimchi Fried Rice Is 'Chinese Food'?" Paris Supermarket Sparks Controversy Over Food Labeling

[Financial News] Kimchi fried rice sold at supermarkets in Paris, France, was found to be labeled "Chinese food" (CHINESE FOOD), sparking controversy.
On the 1st, Kyoungduk Seo, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, posted a photo of kimchi fried rice being sold at a supermarket in France on his social media account. The product in the photo, which was submitted by an internet user traveling in Paris, was reportedly made by a brand called KUMO and sold at a supermarket in central Paris.
The product is bacon kimchi fried rice, a deli item sold in a takeout container. The issue was that it was being sold labeled as "Chinese food."
Kyoungduk Seo said, "There are still many cases in Europe where kimchi is mistaken for Chinese or Japanese food," citing examples from the Netherlands and Germany.
Previously, a restaurant inside Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum mistakenly identified kimchi as Japanese food and sold a "kimchi sandwich." It removed the item from its menu after receiving a protest email. ALDI, a major German retailer, also introduced kimchi as "Japanese kimchi" before correcting the labeling following a protest email.
Kyoungduk Seo said, "I plan to send an email pointing out the issue in the Paris case so that foreigners are not misled," adding, "We will continue to carry out online and offline campaigns across Europe to promote Korean kimchi accurately."
[email protected] Kim Hee-sun Reporter