Supplements in Name Only
② Health food is not 'Health Functional Food'

[비즈한국] As the holiday season or Family Month approaches, home shopping channels become a 'war zone without gunfire' for health functional foods that promise to restore vitality. However, many of the premium health products sold for hundreds of thousands of won, backed by the prestigious names of major pharmaceutical companies and flashy marketing, are in reality nothing more than generic processed foods made with cheap ingredients. Starting with the 'edible albumin' scandal, which raised questions about medical efficacy, Bizhankook examined the reality of the pharmaceutical industry's clever tactics regarding health functional foods and the distribution structures that have created distorted price bubbles.

The 'edible albumin' incident is just one example of the deceptive practices rampant in the domestic health functional food market. Various products, such as agarwood pills and black goat extract—hailed as the best filial gifts for the elderly and dominating home shopping channels and pharmacy shelves—and tart cherry juice, which gained fame as a natural insomnia cure during the COVID-19 pandemic, are not significantly different.

While these products use flashy packaging and pharmaceutical company logos to convey trust, they often cost hundreds of thousands of won per box. Yet, if you look closely at the food category label, you will find ambiguous terms such as 'other processed products,' 'mixed beverages,' 'fruit and vegetable juices,' or 'candies' instead of 'Health Functional Food.' This reflects the bitter reality of a distorted premium supplement market born from consumer health anxiety and the shrewd commercial tactics of pharmaceutical companies.

The weight of the MFDS certification mark... 'Health Functional Food' and 'Health Food' are completely different

To avoid being misled by such tactics, it is necessary to distinguish between 'Health Functional Food' (HFF) and generic 'health food.' Consumers often refer to products advertised as good for the body collectively as health food, but there is a significant legal gap between HFF and generic health food.

First of all, there is no legal definition for 'health food.' It is a marketing term created by the distribution industry, tied to images of well-being, eco-friendliness, and naturalness. These are generic processed foods on the same level as snacks or beverages sold at supermarkets, and their contribution to health improvement has not been verified.

On the other hand, HFF refers to food manufactured and processed using ingredients or components with functions beneficial to the human body, as defined by the Health Functional Food Act. These products use functional ingredients recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) as having a meaningful impact on reducing the risk of disease or promoting health through animal tests and human clinical trials. HFF products carry a certification mark on the packaging, which allows consumers to distinguish them from generic health foods.

Red ginseng passes, Agarwood and Black goat fall short

The case that most clearly demonstrates the difference between HFF and generic processed food is red ginseng.

Red ginseng is a representative functional ingredient officially recognized by the MFDS for its ability to help improve immunity, reduce fatigue, aid blood flow by inhibiting platelet aggregation, improve memory, provide antioxidant effects, support skin health, help with blood sugar control, support menopausal women's health, help with blood pressure control, and maintain prostate health. According to the 2025 Food and Drug Statistics Yearbook published by the MFDS at the end of last year, red ginseng is the No. 1 HFF item in Korea, with annual sales exceeding 860 billion won.

If a product contains 2.5 mg/g or more of ginsenosides (the sum of Rg1, Rb1, and Rg3), the core active ingredients, it is recognized as a functional ingredient and classified as HFF. However, if it fails to meet this, even if it uses red ginseng, it is not an HFF but categorized as a red ginseng beverage or liquid tea. The market for generic processed foods containing red ginseng components is just as large as that for HFF. In 2024, the production value of ginseng and red ginseng beverages reached 212.5 billion won.

Conversely, while agarwood is famous as a precious medicinal material recorded in texts like the Dongui Bogam, similar to red ginseng, it is a generic ingredient for which the MFDS has not recognized any functionality. Nevertheless, pharmaceutical companies, including Kwangdong Pharmaceutical009290, and food companies are selling expensive agarwood pill products. Since there are no clear legal standards for how much agarwood resin—the core ingredient—must be contained, the content varies by product. Black goat extract, beloved by the elderly as a blood-nourishing supplement, and tart cherry juice are also not functional ingredients recognized by the MFDS.

The problem of vague marketing that evades the law

For pharmaceutical companies, health food is a 'cash cow' that allows them to enter the market and earn high profit margins without large-scale R&D. Even setting aside new drugs with low success rates, HFFs have lower hurdles but still require clinical trials to prove efficacy. Because health foods only need to meet safety standards, they are perceived by pharmaceutical companies as an easy shortcut. When you add the 'medical halo effect' obscured by the pharmaceutical company title and use well-known 'show doctors,' consumers are ready to open their wallets at any time.

Current labeling and advertising laws for food prohibit specifying the prevention or treatment of diseases for generic processed foods. For example, using direct expressions like 'improves liver function' or 'treats insomnia' will lead to penalties. Violating the law can result in strong administrative sanctions—a two-month business suspension for just a single offense—and up to 10 years in prison. This is a much heavier penalty compared to the 15-day business suspension for simple false/exaggerated advertising or misleading advertisements about pharmaceuticals.

However, the reality is that companies are dodging the law by using enticing yet vague rhetoric such as 'vitality for your tiring daily life,' 'your mornings will change,' or 'the start of an energetic day.' It is a deceptive tactic that makes consumers mistake them for cures or high-potency supplements without explicitly claiming medical efficacy.

Voices calling for stricter punishment by health authorities against pharmaceutical marketing that misleads consumers into confusing supplements with drugs, and for reinforcing corporate ethics among pharmaceutical companies, are louder than ever.