Harmful substances have been detected in a number of products distributed through the overseas direct-purchase food market that claim to improve sleep disorders and symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) directly purchased 30 products from overseas online shopping malls on Tuesday, including 15 sleep-inducing products and 15 products claiming to relieve depression and anxiety, and tested them for 39 types of pharmaceutical ingredients. As a result, raw materials and ingredients subject to import bans in Korea were confirmed in 19 products. The investigation was planned to reflect the growing demand for dietary supplements aimed at improving insomnia, depression and anxiety symptoms.
Among the sleep-inducing products, 11 were flagged for listing ingredients such as melatonin, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) and magnolia bark, and melatonin was actually detected in nine of them.
Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain that is involved in regulating circadian rhythms and sleep, and in Korea it is licensed and managed as a prescription drug. Long-term use of high doses can cause dependency and side effects such as headaches, dizziness and depression. Patients with sleep disorders should take it according to a doctor's prescription and a pharmacist's medication guidance.
In eight products claiming to relieve depression and anxiety, pharmaceutical ingredients were detected, including 5-HTP, which is involved in serotonin production, lithium, used to treat bipolar disorder, and L-dopa, an ingredient used to treat Parkinson's disease. Yohimbine and bacopa, which are not permitted as food ingredients, were also confirmed. Overdosing on 5-HTP can cause vomiting, nausea and behavioral disorders, while bacopa can cause gastrointestinal disorders and lethargy.
The MFDS requested that the Korea Customs Service suspend customs clearance of the products found to contain harmful ingredients, and asked the Korea Communications Standards Commission to block access to the online sales sites and to block the sale of the harmful products. Product names, manufacturers, harmful ingredients and product photos were disclosed on the portal "Overseas Direct-Purchase Food Olbaro," where 4,693 harmful overseas direct-purchase food products are currently registered.
The MFDS said, "Even purchases for personal consumption can cause health damage from harmful ingredients." Before purchasing, consumers should check on the portal whether a product contains ingredients subject to import bans, and should not buy products registered as harmful foods.
