The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) will launch a regular inspection system targeting overseas direct purchase foods suspected of containing cannabis and other narcotic substances. The move comes as the distribution of narcotic-containing products in gummy and beverage form has increased, particularly from countries where cannabis is legal, prompting stronger safety management of overseas direct purchase foods.
The MFDS announced Tuesday that it will conduct a planned inspection in May and June targeting overseas direct purchase foods sold at online shopping malls in countries where cannabis use has been legalized. Going forward, inspections of overseas direct purchase foods suspected of containing narcotics will be conducted on a biannual basis.
The inspection targets include gummies, beverages, and candies sold at overseas online malls where products suspected of containing cannabis and narcotics can be purchased. The MFDS selected products with a high likelihood of containing narcotics by analyzing advertising phrases, images, designs, and product keywords.
The inspection covers a total of 55 substances, including cannabis components such as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), as well as amphetamines, fentanyl, ketamine, cocaine, and mitragynine. The ministry will also check product labels to verify whether they contain raw materials or ingredients subject to domestic import restrictions.
A total of 312 raw materials and ingredients are currently banned from domestic import. These include 22 narcotic substances such as CBD and THC, 152 pharmaceutical ingredients such as melatonin and 5-HTP, and 138 illicit substances such as sildenafil and icariin. When hazardous ingredients are confirmed, the MFDS plans to cooperate with the Korea Customs Service to suspend customs clearance and work with the Korea Communications Standards Commission to block sales websites.
The measure is a follow-up to the revised Special Act on Imported Food Safety Management, which took effect this year. The revision includes grounds for mandatory inspection of overseas direct purchase foods that may contain narcotics and for disclosing information on hazardous products.
The MFDS discloses information on overseas direct purchase foods whose hazards have been confirmed on the "Overseas Direct Purchase Food Correctly" website within the "Food Safety Korea" portal. The current list of blocked hazardous foods, which includes product names, manufacturers, hazardous ingredients, and photos, contains a total of 4,653 products.
The MFDS emphasized that bringing overseas direct purchase foods containing cannabis or other substances into Korea or consuming them may be subject to punishment under the Act on the Control of Narcotics. "Before purchasing overseas direct purchase foods, consumers must check whether they contain ingredients blocked from domestic import through 'Overseas Direct Purchase Food Correctly,'" an MFDS official said. "Consumers should be careful not to purchase products registered as hazardous foods."
