This article was published on March 6, 2025, at 7:26 a.m. on the ChosunBiz RM report site.
It has been three months since the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety implemented the real-time food information verification service (hereinafter Food QR) last November. During that time, the number of participating companies increased from 14 to 72.
However, food companies stated that it is not easy to introduce Food QR and manage it because they need dedicated personnel within the company. Smaller companies may struggle more with the implementation of Food QR, so it is expected to take more time for more companies to participate.
According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on the 5th, the number of companies participating in Food QR increased from 14 last November to 72 currently. The number of products applied with Food QR also rose from 101 to 196. Food QR is a system designed to allow consumers to easily check food safety information via their smartphones. Important information is prominently displayed in large letters on the packaging, while various information can be checked online in real time.
The introduction of Food QR is not mandatory. Among the food companies that voluntarily participated from the pilot project are Nongshim, Daesang, Dongsuh, LOTTE Wellfood, and Maeil Dairies. Until now, consumers had to check the food safety information portal themselves to find out whether a product is subject to recall or contains allergens. However, now they can confirm health information, including materials and supplies, nutritional elements, and even recipes just by scanning the QR code.
Food QR also includes information on expiration dates. With the inclusion of expiration date information, Food QR is being utilized in convenience stores and coffee shops. For example, CU convenience store has established a system that adds expiration date information to the barcodes of perishable products like lunch boxes and triangular gimbap, blocking checkouts for products that have surpassed their expiration dates.
Starbucks has also displayed QR codes containing the manufacturing date, expiration date, and product codes on all sold items, allowing products that have passed their expiration date to be confirmed at checkout.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety plans to increase the number of participating companies to the top 100 food manufacturers by revenue this year and apply Food QR to all imported food items. Food companies express that they fully understand the intent of Food QR and have a desire to participate, but they collectively note that more time is needed to implement it due to expense and staffing issues.
An industry official noted, "Smaller companies may find it more difficult to implement Food QR," and added, "Printing the packaging incurs expense, and personnel are needed to manage the online site linked when the QR is scanned." They emphasized that the information printed on the packaging and the information online must be consistent, and that someone is needed to update and manage online information when content changes or additional information arises.
Another official stated, "Because the online information must be accurate, personnel are necessary to manage Food QR," adding, "Currently, companies are voluntarily participating in the implementation of Food QR, so they do not face administrative penalties if the information is incorrect. However, regardless of administrative penalties, thorough management is required to prevent any issues."
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety plans to establish standards for the configuration of Food QR for imported food and the online information provided in order to apply Food QR to imported food this year. Additionally, they aim to develop QR issuance and information provision functionalities that comply with exporting countries' standards so that food companies can utilize Food QR when exporting overseas. To this end, a public-private consultative body will be formed within this month to select the five countries with the highest export volume and value, and the details will be discussed.
A Ministry of Food and Drug Safety official stated, "We will gradually build a system to apply QR to all food products in the future" and emphasized, "We will strengthen the provision of food information to guarantee consumer choice and block hazardous food in real time to create a safe consumption environment."