Korea Eundan has faced growing consumer concerns as its health supplement ‘Multivitamin All-in-One’ exceeded the iodine standard, prompting a product recall. However, authorities and the company explained that the recall was due to a labeling violation, not a breach of daily intake levels, and thus safety is not a concern.
Korea Eundan announced on the 24th that the recall specifically targets the ‘Multivitamin All-in-One 1560㎎ 60 tablets’ product, labeled with a consumption expiration date of Feb. 10, 2027. This company’s vitamin, endorsed by Yoo Jae-suk, gained popularity.
Previously, the company revealed that its internal investigation found the iodine content of the product to be labeled at 60㎍ (micrograms; 1㎍ equals one-millionth of a gram), but the actual amount detected was double that at 129.6㎍. Korea Eundan reported this finding along with the product recall to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Korea Eundan stated, “We immediately halted sales of the product,” adding that “we are individually notifying consumers who have already purchased the product and are simultaneously recalling it in phases.” The company confirmed that 2,553 units of the product had been sold online.
Iodine is a basic component typically included in health supplements like mineral and vitamin complexes. This is because iodine is an essential mineral for producing thyroid hormones in our bodies. Thyroid hormones are involved in numerous physiological functions, including metabolic regulation, temperature maintenance, brain development, and growth; a deficiency in iodine can lead to hypothyroidism or pregnancy-related deficiencies.
A representative from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s Health Functional Food Policy Division noted, “The reason Korea Eundan initiated the product recall was that the detected amount exceeded the labeling standard allowance (80~150% of the labeled amount). If the reported detected amount is accurate, it falls within the daily intake limit, which is a separate issue from safety concerns.”
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has started to conduct content inspections on Korea Eundan vitamin products separately. A representative stated, “If the iodine intake exceeds the standards, it could be considered a safety issue.”
The recommended daily intake of iodine for adults to maintain general health is about 150㎍. Health supplements must contain between 70㎍ and 150㎍, which is half the recommended amount, to be recognized for their functionality. However, excessive intake can be dangerous, potentially causing hyperthyroidism or, conversely, hypothyroidism.
For this reason, there are regulations on the upper limit that healthy individuals can consume daily. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends an upper limit of approximately 1,100㎍ for adults, while South Korea’s limit is higher at about 2,400㎍. This adjustment is based on traditional Korean diets high in seaweed, such as kim, seaweed soup, and kelp, as well as the capacity of the population.
A Korea Eundan healthcare representative admitted, “There is responsibility for not thoroughly verifying the labeling standards and actual contents in some products,” and stated, “We recognize this matter deeply and will conduct a comprehensive review of our product quality management system to ensure that similar incidents do not occur in the future.”