Korea Implements M-COOL

[Oldtimer]

General News
S. Korea to implement COOL for imported rice, beef

By Tom Johnston on 7/2/2007 for Meatingplace.com




South Korean officials said Wednesday the country will enforce strict country-of-origin disclosure rules for imported rice and beef sold in local restaurants, Yonhap reported.

To take effect next year, the new rules would require all restaurants above certain floor space amounts to inform customers of the origin of rice and beef, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said. (See Bills proposed in S. Korean parliament brace for influx of U.S. beef, Meatingplace.com, May 18, 2007.)

Violations could result in restaurant closures and prison terms of less than three years. For minor offenses, authorities could levy fines of up to $5,390, according to Yonhap.

The rules do not apply to processed food or noodles, rice cakes and beverages that use rice as the main ingredient.

 

[Bez>]

That is a great marketing ploy for companies in Korea.

The importers will love it because in that part of the world people think, "If it is imported it has to be good".

Bez>

 

[Oldtimer]

That is a great marketing ploy for companies in Korea.

The importers will love it because in that part of the world people think, "If it is imported it has to be good".

Bez>

Asia Pulse, NATIONWIDE INTERNATIONAL NEWS
July 11, 2006
302 words

The South Korean government said Tuesday it discovered 2,003 cases in which imported agricultural produce were being sold as locally-grown goods in the first half of the year. The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service referred 1,076 of them for criminal investigation and slapped fines regarding 927 cases, and 16 merchants have been...

Looks to me like its just the opposite-- some of the Packer/Retailers over there have been pulling the same fraud as they do in the US to get a greater profit--by selling imported products marked/labeled as domestic.....

Except it looks like the Koreans, like most civilized nations of the world, have laws against this false labeling and are going to enforce them too.....

 

[Bez>]

Once again you miss my point.

Let me refresh your memory - I am a supporter of COOL - I just do not believe it possible to implement. You look at beef but I look at the whole picture.

Campbells soup is American - yet they import all sorts of veggies. I wonder how you will decide on ice cream? It has all sorts of imported ingredients.

Even plain old hot chocolate has imported cocoa in it - I wonder how they will dictate whether or not it is a home grown product.

Plus the cost! Additional paperwork - and we all know how gov paperwork grows, plus additional labelling and printing costs - all of course passed on to the consumer.

Plus the new regulatory bodies, plus the legal issues - plus, plus, plus ......

Beef is a simple matter - but there are complications far beyond what you see.

As for Korea - have you ever been there?

The fact is there is NOT a patriotic market in Korea. In other words, they are not a people that believe they should buy Korea first.

They are strong believers in "imported" is best. Therefore it is a marketers dream come true - COOL simply brings to the attention of all that THIS FOOD IS BEST - it is after all IMPORTED.

You can go to any country in the world and find examples of this "supposedly home grown" - but that is usually done to avoid certain taxation and import duty issues.

Heck, even most of your imported honey gets blended with U.S. grown and all of it is called U.S. #1 honey - very similar to here in my country.

I believe Korea is quite a different scenario from what you believe or desire.

I know where you are coming from and despite your bull headedness, I admire your tenacity. However at our level we need to formulate the answers that will satisfy the politician before we will ever see what you want. We also need to satisfy the distributor - or even more jobs will go offshore.

In all honesty I expect to be in the ground before I see SUBSTANTIAL changes.

Bez>

 

[skcatlman]

Hey bez this whole COOL thing is a joke. The point you raise is one i have raised time and time again. The US is buying raw product and processes it. The problem is some of these guys don't get it that the processing makes it a product of the US. But from what i understand mixed meats will have a different set of rule. I am so tired of this COOL crap it is going to be hassle at every step, exactly as planned. Thus making it easier to market US beef compared to imported beef thus making this a trade distorting non-tariff trade barrier.