Health Functional Food - Mandatory Labeling & Labeling Location

Let's review the items that are legally required to be labeled and their respective locations (main display panel, information display panel, other labeling items) in accordance with the 'Health Functional Food Labeling Standards' and the 'Act on Labeling and Advertising of Food, etc.

Relevant Laws

• Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Notice No. 2023-9 (Partial Amendment, February 8, 2023) Article 4 (Labeling Requirements)
• The Act on Labeling and Advertising of Food, etc. Articles 4 and 5

1. Health Functional Food Labeling or Health Functional Food Symbol (Main Display Panel)
2. Product Name (Main Display Panel)
3. Business Name and Location (Can be displayed freely)
4. Expiration Date and Storage Method (Information Display Panel)
5. Content Quantity (Main Display Panel)
6. Nutrition Information (Information Display Panel)
7. Function Information (Information Display Panel)
8. Intake Amount, Method of Intake, and Precautions (Information Display Panel)
9. Ingredients and Content (Can be displayed freely)
10. Statement indicating that it is not a medicine for the prevention or treatment of diseases (Can be displayed freely)
11. Safety Precautions for Consumers (Can be displayed freely)
12. Other items defined by the Detailed Labeling Standards for Health Functional Foods (Can be displayed freely)

Labeling Location

Labels must be placed where they are easily noticeable to consumers.

• Main Display Panel (Front Label): Health Functional Food Labeling or Health Functional Food Symbol, Product Name, Content Quantity
• Information Display Panel (Back Label): Expiration Date and Storage Method, Nutrition Information, Function Information, Intake Amount, Method of Intake, and Precautions
• Can be displayed freely: Business Name and Location, Ingredients and Content, Statement indicating that it is not a medicine for the prevention or treatment of diseases, Safety Precautions for Consumers, Other items defined by the Detailed Labeling Standards for Health Functional Foods

Note that the "Main Display Panel" refers to the surface usually shown to consumers when purchasing health functional foods.

The "Information Display Panel" refers to the surface where information not displayed on the main display surface is shown to make it easy for consumers to see the relevant product information.

 

Considerations

If any of the mandatory labeling items mentioned above are not displayed, it may not only result in legal penalties during importation or domestic distribution after manufacture, but importation may also be prohibited.

 

Particularly, items that must be labeled on the main display panel and those critical to food safety may not generally be allowed to be applied with an over-sticker. Therefore, special care must be taken when developing the label for health functional food products.