1 in 10 overseas direct-buy food products test positive for hazardous substances
Korean inspections found undeclared drug ingredients, banned materials and narcotics in overseas direct-purchase food products.
Office of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Osong, North Chungcheong, on Aug. 28, 2023
NEWS1
About one in 10 food items purchased through overseas direct-buying sites and marketed for effects like weight loss, muscle building or diabetes management have tested positive for hazardous substances — including undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients and narcotics — over the past five years, government data showed Thursday.
Annually inspecting 3,000 overseas direct-purchase food items, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety found hazardous substances in 296 cases, or 9.9 percent of the products in 2021, and 273 cases, or 9.1 percent in 2022, according to data released by Rep. Seo Mi-hwa of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee.
In 2023 and 2024, the ministry inspected 3,100 and 3,400 items, and found hazardous substances in 281 cases, or 9.1 percent, and 344 cases, or 10.1 percent. Last year, the ministry roughly doubled its inspections to 6,001 items, and the detection rate rose to 14.5 percent, with hazardous substances confirmed in 871 cases.
Of those 871 cases, undeclared drug ingredients were found in 444 items. Raw materials not permitted for use in food were found in 273 items, and 108 items contained substances classified in Korea's Food Code as adulterants or similar substances. The remaining 46 items contained narcotic substances.
This year, the ministry inspected 3,555 items through June, finding hazardous substances in 89 cases. Of those, 42 contained pharmaceutical ingredients and 22 contained narcotic substances.
When hazardous overseas direct-purchase food is identified, the ministry works with relevant government agencies to block the products from entering the country and to halt their sale and distribution domestically.
"As overseas direct purchases become part of daily life, the safety management blind spot for these products is also growing," Rep. Seo said. "The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety needs to keep building a tighter safety management system to prevent hazardous food from entering the country."
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
