Pukyong National University Student Wins Grand Prize at the 7th Consumer Orientation Improvement Project Contest

A student team consisting of second-year students Park Si-eun and Park Yoo-shin from the Department of Public Administration and Welfare at Pukyong National University won the grand prize at the 7th Consumer Orientation Improvement Task Contest hosted by the Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency.

The Pukyong National University student team received a prize of 1.5 million KRW and the Chairman of the Fair Trade Commission Award (Grand Prize) for their proposal titled "Improvement of Labeling for Zero Sugar Products" in this contest.

This contest is held annually to solicit innovative ideas aimed at improving laws and systems that restrict consumers' rights or interests from the consumer's perspective.

The Pukyong National University team's proposal, "Improvement of Labeling for Zero Sugar Products," pointed out that zero sugar products on the market are labeled as if no sugar is added, but in reality, they contain sugar alcohols, which are sugar components, and presented clear standards for such labeling, receiving excellent evaluations.

Second-year students Park Si-eun (left) and Park Yoo-shin from the Department of Public Administration and Welfare at Pukyong National University are taking a commemorative photo of their award.

Starting from the issue that zero sugar products can pose problems for people who need to manage their blood sugar levels, they reviewed current laws such as the "Food Labeling and Advertising Act" and the "Enforcement Rules on Food Labeling and Advertising for Consumer Safety (Article 5, Paragraph 1)" to find ways to specify accurate information.

Accordingly, the Pukyong National University students proposed a warning phrase stating "Contains sugar alcohols, so caution is needed when blood sugar management is required," which should be displayed in font size 10 points or larger, along with specific labeling methods, and their proposal was recognized as the most outstanding.

Professor Oh Young-sam, their advisor, said, "This proposal is significant as a practical institutional improvement measure that can prevent potential health risks for people with allergies or those who need to manage their blood sugar levels."

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