Confectionary Products Found to Contain High Level of Sodium South Korea
July 12, 2004

A South Korean consumer group said Monday it has discovered that biscuits, corn chips and confectionary goods produced in Korea contain high levels of sodium, which can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.

The Consumers Korea (CK), a civic group working for consumer rights, announced yesterday the results of the survey on the quantity of sodium in snack food products that it had requested the state-run Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) to conduct.

The institute surveyed 20 widely consumed products made by seven companies and found 13 products contain more than 0.5g of sodium per 100g of goods, too salty according to the category by the Food Standards Agency of Britain. More than half of confectionary products produced in Korea are high sodium content foods, according to the survey result.

The products include Baked Potato of Haitai Confectionery and Foods Co., Shrimp Crackers and Onion Rings by Nong Shim, Kotgerang by Binggrae and Corn Chips by Crown.

The minimum requirement of sodium per day is 0.12g for children under 10 and 0.5g for people aged 10 or older. Just a paper bag of biscuits meets the requirement. Sodium in the form of salt provides a nutrient necessary for the human body, but excessive intake may cause high blood pressure or heart attack.

Sung Mi-kyung, a food and nutrition professor at Sookmyung Womens’ University, said `Excessive intake of sodium is closely linked to deaths from cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases as well as gastric cancer and osteoporosis.’’