"Some Probiotics Products Contain Minimal Strains and Inadequate Labeling"

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Korea Consumer Agency pointed out on the 22nd that all probiotic products met the standards for lactic acid bacteria and safety, but some products contained too few bacterial strains and had inadequate labeling. Probiotics are health functional foods that help increase lactic acid bacteria, suppress harmful bacteria, and aid bowel movements, making them the second best-selling popular product among domestic health functional foods.

When the Consumer Agency tested and evaluated the quality (bacterial count, bacterial strains), safety, and labeling compliance of 15 products, the average bacterial count was found to be about 20 billion CFU (Colony-Forming Unit). All products met the related standard set by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, which requires "at least 1 CFU of viable bacteria per gram." CFU is a unit that measures the number of bacteria by confirming colonies formed by cultured bacteria.

Source=Korea Consumer Agency

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However, most products that claimed to contain 3 to 19 bacterial strains were concentrated on 1 to 2 representative strains. In particular, among the 13 strains listed on Kwangdong Pharmaceutical’s "Kwangdong Jang Health Live Lactic Acid Bacteria," only one strain (Bifidobacterium bifidum) was present in significant amounts. Similarly, among the 19 strains listed on Chong Kun Dang’s "Probiotics Lactic Acid Bacteria 19," only one strain (Bifidobacterium longum) was added in trace amounts. Both companies responded to the Consumer Agency with voluntary improvement plans to strengthen product quality management.

The Consumer Agency suggested that minimum content standards and labeling criteria for trace bacterial strains should be established. This is because most consumers expect that the more bacterial strains a probiotic contains, the better its effect. Currently, there is only a total bacterial count standard that sums all 19 probiotic strains, but no labeling or content standards for individual strains.

Source=Korea Consumer Agency

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Some products had inadequate labeling regarding bacterial count and precautions. Coupang Corporation’s "Jarrow Dophilus EPS" did not display any precautions for consumption. The Consumer Agency pointed out the need for improvement in this regard. Three products made by Sol Biotech, Korea Eundan Healthcare, and Chong Kun Dang displayed the bacterial count at the time of manufacturing, which could be higher than the final product’s bacterial count, potentially misleading consumers. Coupang, Sol Biotech, Korea Eundan, and Chong Kun Dang prepared voluntary improvement plans related to labeling and responded to the Consumer Agency.

There were no safety issues with any of the products. No coliform bacteria or foreign substances were detected. Two products containing Enterococcus strains were also found to meet safety standards. According to Ministry of Food and Drug Safety regulations, Enterococcus strains can only be used if they do not have antibiotic resistance genes or toxin genes.

Product prices varied by more than seven times, ranging from 217 to 1,533 KRW per daily intake. Chong Kun Dang’s "Probiotics Lactic Acid Bacteria 19" was the cheapest at 217 KRW. HPO’s "Denmark Lactic Acid Bacteria Story" and Esther Formula’s "Ultra Flora Probiotics" were the most expensive at 1,533 KRW.

A representative from the Korea Consumer Agency said, "Based on this test result, we recommended voluntary improvements to manufacturers of products that need quality and labeling enhancements," adding, "We plan to propose to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety the establishment of guidelines and labeling standards for probiotic strains and bacterial counts by strain."

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