This article was displayed on the ChosunBizRM Report website at 5:21 a.m. on Jun. 25, 2026.
The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety will improve the system to require general foods in tablet or capsule form to carry a statement that they are not medicines or health functional foods. As general foods in pill form have rapidly increased recently, leading to repeated cases of consumers mistaking them for health functional foods or medicines, the intent is to first strengthen labeling and then gradually overhaul the management system going forward.
◇ More pill-type general foods... marketing evokes health functional foods
According to the food industry on the 25th, the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety recently issued an advance notice of legislation for a partial revision of the Food Labeling Standards. Under the revision, general foods manufactured or processed in capsule or tablet form must display the phrase "This product is not a medicine or a health functional food" on the main display panel in type at least 12 points. However, products used for cooking and not directly consumed by consumers are excluded from the labeling requirement. The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety plans to gather opinions from industry and consumers through Aug. 21.
This measure follows continued criticism that the boundary between general foods and health functional foods is blurring as the market for general foods in tablet and capsule form grows rapidly.
In principle, general foods are managed so that they do not resemble medicines or health functional foods, but some food categories have been exceptionally allowed to be manufactured in tablet or capsule form. Recently, however, general foods touting glutathione, chondroitin, melatonin, or hemp seed oil have been released one after another in pill or capsule form, prompting claims that consumer confusion has increased.
In particular, expressions that evoke health functional foods—such as "one tablet a day," "eating routine," and "intensive care"—are used mainly on online shopping malls and social networking services (SNS). Coupled with influencer marketing and consumer reviews, the line between general foods and health functional foods has grown ambiguous. Not only the product appearance but also product names, intake methods, and advertising copy are designed similarly to health functional foods, making it difficult for consumers to distinguish the actual nature of the products.
According to a research report titled "Improving the eligibility requirements for foods in tablet and capsule form" by the National Food Safety Information service, general foods in tablet and capsule form increased 132.6% in two years, from 1,731 in 2021 to 4,026 in 2023. Product types also expanded rapidly from mainly candies to processed fruits and vegetables, processed sugars, beverage bases, and solid teas.
For example, ordinary pineapple extract powder is compressed into pill form and, online, is billed front and center for digestive enzyme function as "bromelain tablets." Cases are also being uncovered in which tart cherry extract tablets are presented as the sleep-inducing ingredient "melatonin," or tomato extracts are packaged like "antioxidants."
In the case of "processed sugars," which use excipients as the basic base, examples were found of mixing trace amounts of specific ingredients into glucose or lactose and advertising them as if they were "chondroitin" pills for joint health or "glutathione" pills for skin care.
The report cited as key factors that mislead consumers: ▲ tablet and capsule dosage forms ▲ product names that suggest functionality ▲ intake wording that implies fixed quantities at fixed intervals. In a consumer survey presenting a specific melatonin tablet product, 84.4% of respondents perceived it as a health functional food. Among respondents using tablet-type products, 95.6%, and among capsule-type users, 97.4%, said they swallow them with water, indicating that the very experience of "taking it like a medicine" influences consumer misperception.
◇ Step-by-step tighter rules starting with stronger labeling
The National Food Safety Information service recently proposed step-by-step regulatory measures for general foods in tablet and capsule form through a research report. The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety's latest advance notice is evaluated as a step reflecting phase one measures to strengthen consumer information.
In phase two, focused management will be promoted for product groups with a high likelihood of being mistaken. Products combining tablet or capsule form with ingredient names that suggest functionality or intake wording typical of health functional foods will be classified as high risk, with proposed application of pre-reporting or pre-review systems for labeling and advertising. Measures to strengthen ad monitoring systems tailored to an online-centered distribution environment, such as home shopping, live commerce, and SNS ads, are also under review.
In phase three, stronger management is expected for food categories with high risk of confusion. The National Food Safety Information service proposed prioritizing processed sugars, processed fruits and vegetables, beverage bases, and solid teas. For new products, restrictive eligibility criteria would apply, and for existing products, after a grace period, companies would be guided to shift to other dosage forms such as powder, liquid, jelly, or candy.
In the industry, while there is consensus on the need to protect consumers, concerns are being raised that if regulation expands toward restricting the dosage forms themselves, it could burden product development and market growth. On the other hand, as the phenomenon of general foods being perceived like health functional foods or medicines spreads, many also say that stronger management is inevitable to reduce consumer confusion.
A food industry official said, "It is true that cases of consumer confusion have increased as general foods have been launched in forms and intake methods similar to health functional foods recently," adding, "Going forward, overall management standards will be further strengthened, not only for product dosage forms but also for product names, advertising, and intake methods."