Be Cautious of Foods Making Unsubstantiated Claims
Some Products Advertised as Containing Biotin Had None at All
Products containing beer yeast and biotin, which are known to help hair health, have been confirmed to have no effect on preventing hair loss or hair care.
On the 1st, the Korea Consumer Agency announced that after investigating 30 products sold online for hair loss prevention and content, none showed any effect, and that labeling and advertising need to be improved.
Beer yeast is a general food ingredient made by drying yeast filtered after fermenting beer, and biotin is a type of vitamin (B7) recognized only for its role in metabolism and energy production in the body. However, most companies advertised biotin as having hair loss prevention effects, leading to inaccurate consumer perceptions.
All 30 products surveyed claimed to prevent hair loss and promote hair health without scientific evidence. In particular, 14 products advertised in a way that could be mistaken for hair loss treatment drugs or health functional foods, using terms like "hair loss prevention treatment" and "hair loss supplement," while the remaining 16 products engaged in unfair advertising by posting testimonials containing false, exaggerated, or misleading information.
Among the products that displayed biotin content, some did not detect any biotin. Of the 26 products, 3 had no biotin at all or only 1% to 10%, and the content of biotin in 29 products labeled as containing biotin ranged from one-tenth of the daily nutritional standard to up to 350 times the standard.
On the other hand, ingredients certified for functionality that help improve hair condition were also introduced. Millet extract complex can help improve hair condition (shine and elasticity), and fish collagen peptides have been recognized for their effectiveness in recovering skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays, moisturizing, and improving skin condition. The functionality of "helping to improve hair shine and elasticity" can only be displayed on products containing individually approved ingredients by businesses (Novarex, Jooyoung NS) that have undergone individual review and received functionality recognition from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Based on the results of this investigation, the Korea Consumer Agency recommended improvements to businesses that manufactured and sold products with inappropriate labeling, advertising, and nutritional content. They also plan to request the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to inspect products advertising hair loss management and hair health.
Shim Seong-bo, head of the Food and Drug Safety Team at the Korea Consumer Agency, urged, "If consumers experience symptoms of hair loss, they should receive a diagnosis from a specialist and carefully check the functionality and health functional food certification marks displayed on products when purchasing health functional foods."
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