Jeon Jin-sook: "False and Exaggerated Advertising for Diets Still Prevalent"

MFDS, 9,509 Cases Detected in the Past 5 Years
"Need to Expand Monitoring and Safety Inspections"

Jeon Jin-sook Assembly Member

As online food purchases surge both domestically and internationally, illegal sales of diet products claiming weight loss benefits continue to persist.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) to Jeon Jin-sook, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea representing Gwangju Buk-gu Eul, the number of cases of false and exaggerated advertising of diet products sold online over the past five years has reached 9,509.

Although the MFDS is intensively monitoring illegal online advertisements, blocking posts, and requesting investigations, the number of illegal online site posts has not decreased. Moreover, illegal advertising types are diversifying beyond diet products to include claims related to sexual function improvement and muscle enhancement.

In particular, the rapid increase in food purchases through overseas direct procurement poses a significant threat to consumers' health. Over the past five years, pharmaceutical ingredients containing prohibited substances were detected in 1,230 overseas direct procurement food products claiming effects such as diet, sexual function improvement, and muscle enhancement. The number of cases by year is 148 in 2020, 296 in 2021, 273 in 2022, and 281 in 2023.

In the case of overseas direct procurement, it is difficult for both government supervision and consumers to verify whether harmful substances are included. Accordingly, there are calls for the government to increase budgets and manpower to expand online illegal advertisement monitoring, safety inspections, and to strengthen information provision about products.

Rep. Jeon emphasized, “With the steady increase in illegal online advertisements and food products detected with harmful substances, public health is a concern,” and urged, “The MFDS should expand its online illegal monitoring and safety inspections of overseas direct procurement food products.”