A recent survey showed that even if people eat only the ingredients of mara malatang without drinking the broth, they consume 82% of the daily recommended sodium intake.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency, which investigated the nutritional components and labeling status of products from 20 major mara malatang franchise brands in South Korea, the average sodium intake per cooked bowl was 1,630 mg, reaching 81.5% of the daily nutritional standard of 2,000 mg.

Including the broth, the average sodium content surged to 5,380 mg, which is 269% of the daily limit.

When including the broth, the average calorie content stood at 976 kcal, and fat was 49g, accounting for 90.7% of the daily standard.

Due to the high levels of sodium and fat, consumer damage continues to be reported.

An analysis of a total of 522 mara malatang-related hazard information reports filed with the Consumer Injury Surveillance System from January to May 2021 revealed that digestive health issues accounted for 78.7% of the cases.

By age group, teenagers accounted for the largest share at 35.9%, followed by those in their 20s at 34.4%.

Peanuts, a major raw ingredient of mara malatang, are a representative allergen, yet 8 out of the 20 surveyed brands failed to provide allergy labeling or warnings.

Based on the survey results, the Korea Consumer Agency has recommended that mara malatang franchise operators reduce sodium and fat contents and introduce allergen labeling in their stores.

(File Photo: Yonhap News)