"Ahead of Black Friday"... MFDS Intensifies Inspection of Overseas Direct-Purchase Foods

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), together with the Korea Customs Service, announced on the 25th that they will conduct intensive safety inspections on directly purchased overseas foods imported via express cargo and international mail until the 6th of next month.

On the 20th, ahead of Black Friday, a large-scale discount event held annually on the fourth Friday of November in the United States, a customs officer is inspecting direct purchase items at the Incheon Airport Headquarters Customs Express Logistics Center in Jung-gu, Incheon. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

This inspection is being implemented to prevent consumer harm by blocking the domestic import of foods containing harmful substances, as demand for overseas direct purchases is expected to surge ahead of large-scale discount events such as Black Friday on the 29th.

Since 2015, the MFDS and the Korea Customs Service have been conducting collaborative safety inspections on overseas direct purchase foods at the customs clearance stage. During this intensive inspection period, they plan to strengthen inspections targeting products that claim to enhance immunity or improve memory but are suspected of containing harmful substances.

The inspection targets will include opening the outer packaging to check whether ingredients listed on the product label contain pharmaceutical components, and conducting component analysis tests to determine the presence of prohibited ingredients or substances in foods, such as narcotics, pharmaceutical ingredients, and adulterants.

If harmful substances are detected as a result of the inspection, the products will be restricted from entering the country by being discarded or returned during the customs clearance process. Therefore, consumers are advised to first check whether the overseas direct purchase food contains harmful substances on the Food Safety Korea website under 'Overseas Direct Purchase Food Correctly' before making a purchase.

An MFDS official stated, "We will continue to share relevant information with related agencies such as the Korea Customs Service to prevent consumer harm caused by foods containing harmful substances, and we plan to strengthen collaborative inspections on overseas direct purchase foods."