It has been confirmed that some overseas direct purchase products included in the government's list of hazardous foods blocked from import and sale within Korea are still being sold on online shopping platforms.
On the 12th, the office of Rep. Lee So-hee of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, analyzed 109 products from well-known brands in the United States, Australia, and other countries among those registered in the past 15 months on the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's "Overseas Direct Purchase Hazardous Food Block List" (hereinafter "Hazardous Food Block List"). The analysis revealed that 12 hazardous products, including health functional foods, are being sold through a major domestic online shopping mall.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety blocks the import and sale within Korea of foods that may harm public health through hazardous food blocking measures and provides consumers with safety information before purchase. To date, 5,000 hazardous foods have been added to the block list.
However, it was revealed that some online shopping malls are still selling products listed on the hazardous food block list. These include products containing ingredients such as "Mucuna pruriens" (velvet bean), which raises concerns about side effects including nerve cell damage; the sleep hormone "melatonin," classified as a prescription drug in Korea; "bovine-derived" ingredients, which pose a risk of transmitting bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease); and the herbal medicine "Zhimu."
The status of enforcement measures also varied. Within the same shopping mall, some hazardous foods had sales halted with relevant notice text displayed, while other hazardous foods continued to be sold. This indicates that necessary measures, such as blocking import and sale within Korea, have not been implemented consistently.
An official from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated, "Overseas direct purchase foods confirmed to contain hazardous ingredients through purchase inspections are registered on the Hazardous Food Block List, and we immediately request blocking measures for import, sale, and distribution within Korea in collaboration with relevant agencies such as the Korea Customs Service, the Korea Agency for Technology and Standards, and the Broadcasting Media Communications Review Committee (BMCRC)." However, the official added, "The actual time required for enforcement may vary depending on the relevant agency and sales platform."
The official continued, "Through cooperation systems with platform companies and others, we are swiftly blocking what can be blocked through autonomous management, while measures for overseas sites are being taken after going through the BMCRC's review process." The official noted, "After site blocking measures are implemented, sellers sometimes change product names or images, or register circumvention links via new URLs. Therefore, we are continuously monitoring online to block sales sites of hazardous foods from overseas direct purchases."
Rep. Lee So-hee pointed out, "Although the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety signed a rapid blocking agreement with three online platform associations last August, products that have been on the list for over a year are still openly sold on major open markets." She added, "If this continues, the Hazardous Food Block List will inevitably remain merely an ineffective public notice."
She further stated, "I plan to press this issue during the National Assembly's government audit," and added, "We will demand that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety improve the system so that domestic sales are halted immediately upon a product being listed on the Hazardous Food Block List and continuous monitoring is conducted."
in THEBIO
