This article was published on May 2, 2025, at 11:19 a.m. on the ChosunBiz RM Report site.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will extend the pilot project allowing small-scale personal transactions of health functional foods until the end of the year.
On the 2nd, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety noted that it will extend the deadline for the pilot project, which started on May 8 last year and was scheduled to end on the 7th, to December 31.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has been conducting a pilot project to allow personal transactions of health functional foods on second-hand transaction online platforms to alleviate public inconvenience while ensuring food safety and order in distribution.
According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, no safety issues, such as abnormal cases, have been reported in products traded between individuals so far. However, the deadline has been extended to improve the 'guidelines for the operation of the personal transaction pilot project for health functional foods' and to expand the number of online platforms participating in the project, to better examine consumer safety and its impact on the market.
While maintaining the standards related to consumer safety in the guidelines, it has been decided to remove the cumulative transaction amount ceiling considering the price diversity of health functional foods and consumer transaction convenience. The standard that the consumption deadline must remain at least six months has also been eased. It will suffice to display the expiration date clearly within the consumption deadline. In contrast, the guidelines will be revised to enhance consumer safety and choice by adding provisions prohibiting illegal transactions on second-hand transaction platforms and guidelines for reporting abnormal cases.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated, "After examining the management systems of other platforms such as 'Joonggonara,' which expressed willingness to participate in the pilot project besides Carrot and Bungae Market, additional transaction platforms will be expanded."