Diet Cocoa Turns Out to Contain Laxative Ingredients... Warning for Overseas Direct Purchases

MFDS, 21 Imported Direct-Purchase Foods Containing Banned Ingredients Detected
Many Products Claiming Weight Loss and Pain Relief Effects

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has issued a warning as many overseas direct purchase foods claiming weight loss and pain relief effects contain pharmaceutical ingredients or other substances banned from import into Korea.

On the 1st, the Ministry announced that a planned inspection of 100 overseas direct purchase food products sold on domestic and international online shopping malls, suspected of containing harmful ingredients, found that 21 products contained pharmaceutical ingredients or other raw materials and substances prohibited from import. Accordingly, the Ministry requested the Korea Customs Service to withhold customs clearance for these products and instructed the Korea Communications Standards Commission to block access to the online sales sites.

Overseas direct purchase cocoa detected with ingredients subject to domestic import ban
[Image source: Provided by Ministry of Food and Drug Safety]

The planned inspection was conducted from September 18 of last year to the 8th of last month. The inspection targeted 100 products in total: 30 products claiming weight loss effects, 30 claiming pain relief effects, 20 claiming sleep improvement effects, and 20 claiming antidepressant effects. The results showed that 21 products were problematic: 12 products claiming weight loss effects, 6 claiming pain relief effects, 2 claiming sleep improvement effects, and 1 claiming antidepressant effects. Among the detected products, more than half?11 products?did not indicate the presence of pharmaceutical ingredients found.

Products advertised for weight loss effects were labeled as using ingredients such as cocoa powder or fruit powder, but sennoside, a pharmaceutical ingredient used for constipation treatment, was detected. Sennoside has no efficacy in breaking down or reducing body fat and can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting if consumed in large amounts.

Products advertised for pain relief effects were labeled as containing ingredients like Boswellia, calcium, and magnesium, but steroid components such as dexamethasone and prednisolone 21-acetate, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as diclofenac, piroxicam, and meloxicam, and antipyretic analgesic components such as acetaminophen were detected. Misuse or abuse of these ingredients can cause serious side effects in the cardiovascular and digestive systems.

Foods claiming sleep improvement and antidepressant effects were found to contain the tranquilizer ingredient 5-hydroxytryptophan. 5-hydroxytryptophan can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

A Ministry of Food and Drug Safety official stated, "Overseas direct purchase foods cannot guarantee safety, and foods advertising specific effects such as weight loss may contain illegal pharmaceutical ingredients." The official urged consumers to check the 'Overseas Direct Purchase Food Correctly' site, accessible directly from the Food Safety Korea website, which provides information on overseas direct purchase foods confirmed to contain harmful ingredients before making a purchase.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.