Gwangju Seo-gu to Inspect 'Health Functional Food Sales Businesses' Until the 30th of Next Month

Published 17 Oct.2022 13:25(KST)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shin Dong-ho] Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Kim Yi-gang) will conduct inspections of health functional food sales establishments until the 30th of next month.

According to Seo-gu on the 17th, this inspection was prepared as a preventive measure due to the recent increase in food and health functional food sales through internet shopping malls and SNS, as well as the rise in indiscriminate unfair advertising activities at health functional food promotion centers targeting the elderly.

The inspection will cover 700 health functional food sales establishments to check for violations of unfair labeling and advertising of foods and compliance with related laws.

The inspection items include ▲ concerns about recognition of disease prevention and treatment efficacy and recognition as pharmaceuticals ▲ concerns about non-health functional foods being perceived as health functional foods ▲ false or exaggerated claims, consumer deception, defamation or comparison of other companies, etc.

On-site inspections will be conducted occasionally at health functional food sales establishments and promotion centers, and online sales establishments will conduct voluntary self-inspections so that operators can prevent violations in advance.

The self-inspection method involves the district sending a text message with a self-inspection form submission link along with a notice to the operators, and the operators submit the inspection form on the Seo-gu Public Health Center website through the received message after conducting the self-inspection.

For establishments found violating regulations during on-site inspections, administrative guidance focusing on education and correction will be provided. After the completion of voluntary self-inspections by online sales establishments, the submission results will be reviewed, and special inspections will be conducted for establishments that did not submit, as part of follow-up management plans.

A Seo-gu official said, “As interest in health increases, sales of health functional foods are also rising, and unfair advertising of general foods is also increasing. We ask for the cooperation of operators so that illegal matters of indiscriminate exaggerated advertising are recognized through this inspection and a safe food distribution culture can be established.”