What the term means
In Korea, dietary supplements are regulated as health functional foods (건강기능식품, geongang gineung sikpum): foods made or processed using ingredients that have a useful function for the human body. Under Korea's Health Functional Foods Act, "function" means a useful health effect on the structure and function of the body, such as regulating nutrients or a physiological action. In other words, not every food advertised as healthy is a health functional food. Only products whose function has been recognized through the standards and procedures of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) can use the name. The closest equivalents elsewhere are "dietary supplements" in the US or "food supplements" in the EU, but Korea's system is stricter in that each functional claim must be approved.
How is it different from ordinary "health foods"?
Many ordinary foods on the market are labeled "health food" or "natural food," but most of them carry no official functional claim and have not gone through the MFDS's functional evaluation. Compared with medicines, on the other hand, the function of a health functional food is not to treat or prevent disease directly, but to help maintain normal body function and support physiological processes. So if you have a specific illness, a health functional food should never replace treatment; use it, if at all, alongside medical care.
How to recognize the official mark
Look closely at the packaging and you will find a round blue emblem with the words "건강기능식품" (health functional food). This is a legally defined mark that can appear only on products whose function and safety the MFDS has officially recognized, meaning the product may tell consumers about a verified function such as immune support or improved blood circulation. The separate GMP mark shows the quality-control level of the manufacturing plant, and the HACCP mark shows hygiene and safety management across production and distribution. Neither guarantees the product's function, which is what sets them apart from the health functional food mark.
How to check whether a product is officially recognized
To be recognized as a health functional food, an ingredient's function and safety must be backed by scientific evidence submitted to and reviewed by the MFDS. Well-established ingredients are "notified" (고시형): they can be used without separate review as long as they meet the published standards. New ingredients are "individually recognized" (개별인정형) and reviewed one by one. To check whether an ingredient is recognized, search for the product or ingredient name on the MFDS's Food Safety Korea website (foodsafetykorea.go.kr) and see its approved function and status.
How supplement ads are reviewed
Health functional food ads used to be pre-screened directly by the MFDS, but in 2018 Korea's Constitutional Court ruled that this amounted to unconstitutional prior censorship, restricting freedom of expression too much. The system then shifted to review by private self-regulatory bodies such as the Korea Health Supplements Association rather than a government agency. Under Korea's Act on Labeling and Advertising of Foods, any health functional food ad must still be reviewed by such a body first, so exaggerated ads that skip review remain illegal.
Please keep in mind
- This article is based on information checked as of the date shown at the top. New research or changes in official guidelines may change the details, so please use it as a reference rather than taking it as definitive.
- For an accurate diagnosis and advice about your health, please see a doctor in person.