Commissaries in South Korea to stock U.S. poultry again
FORT LEE, Va. (Jan. 6, 2016) – Commissary shoppers in South Korea will begin to see uncooked poultry products such as eggs, frozen chicken breasts, thighs, wings and whole chickens from the U.S. back on commissary shelves in February.
This news comes as a result of changes to Korea's year-long poultry embargo that had restricted the entry of U.S. poultry.
During the embargo, commissaries had been selling uncooked fresh poultry and eggs from local sources in Korea and uncooked frozen poultry from a source in Australia to meet the demands of customers. This change will allow commissaries to stock a full array of both cooked and uncooked products from the U.S., just as they had prior to the December 2014 embargo.
"This is welcome news for everyone associated with commissaries – customer and employees alike," said Wayne Walk, DeCA's zone manager in Korea. "We're working with our suppliers now to meet the requirements of the embargo and get thighs, breasts, wings, whole chickens, eggs and other uncooked poultry products into stores by February. As with any embargo the return to normal product availability from various suppliers will take time."
Commissaries will continue to carry eggs and fresh chicken products from local sources in Korea.
"We worked continuously throughout the embargo to provide our customers with the best service and product assortment possible," said Walk. "We're happy we can now return to a more 'business as usual' environment."
About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit and make no profit on the sale of merchandise. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. By shopping regularly in the commissary, patrons save thousands of dollars annually. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America's military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.
Media Contact:
Kevin L. Robinson
(804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773
kevin.robinson@deca.mil