The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) urged consumer caution after harmful ingredients were repeatedly detected in overseas direct-purchase foods marketed as treatments for chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.
The ministry said Wednesday that it had purchased and tested 30 overseas direct-purchase food products claiming to treat or alleviate chronic diseases, and found ingredients subject to domestic import bans in 18 of them, prompting customs clearance suspensions. In one product, lovastatin, an active ingredient used in hyperlipidemia medication, was actually detected.
The 30 products tested included 20 related to hyperlipidemia and hypertension and 10 related to diabetes, all purchased through overseas online shopping malls such as Amazon and eBay. The MFDS conducted tests focusing on 90 types of therapeutic ingredients while also reviewing ingredients listed on product labels.
Test results showed that products claiming to address hyperlipidemia and hypertension contained medicinal ingredients such as myrrh and citrulline, along with multiple ingredients not permitted for use in food. In particular, lovastatin, detected in some products, is a prescription-only drug ingredient that can cause muscle damage or rhabdomyolysis and requires a doctor's prescription.
Diabetes-related products were also found to contain banned ingredients such as Gymnema sylvestre, known in Korean as "dangsalcho," along with medicinal ingredients. Dangsalcho may cause hepatitis and can increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with insulin, requiring caution.
The MFDS blocked the products from entering the country by working with related agencies, requesting the Korea Customs Service to suspend customs clearance and the Korea Communications Standards Commission to block online sales. The ministry also disclosed product information and harmful ingredients on its "Overseas Direct-Purchase Food Information" website.
"Overseas direct-purchase foods are often not verified for safety and can lead to health damage," an MFDS official said. "Consumers must check whether a product is classified as harmful before making a purchase."
