A total of 18,693 reports of adverse symptoms after taking health functional foods were filed between 2021 and June of this year in South Korea. Last year's tally reached 5,250 cases, the highest in five years.
5,250 Reports Last Year, 3,591 More in First Half of This Year
According to data submitted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Korea Food Safety Information Service to Rep. Seo Mi-hwa of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, the agency's reporting center for health functional food adverse events received 18,693 reports from 2021 through June 2026.
Annual figures stood at 2,064 in 2021, 1,835 in 2022, 2,342 in 2023, 3,611 in 2024 and 5,250 in 2025. Compared with 2021, last year's total was roughly 2.5 times higher. The upward trend has continued this year, with 3,591 reports filed through June.
Serious cases and repeat filings were also identified. Between 2021 and June of this year, 32 cases involved either hospitalization or emergency room treatment, or were reported 10 or more times in a single month. These include cases in which people went to emergency rooms with skin rashes, hives, headaches, constipation and abdominal pain.
Of those, two cases were rated Level 5, meaning a causal link was assessed as highly likely and prompt disclosure of information was deemed necessary. Five cases were classified as Level 4, indicating a probable causal link.
Report volumes alone, however, do not establish that a product is harmful. Any causal link between the symptoms and the health functional food must be confirmed through separate investigation and analysis.
Digestive Symptoms Most Common, Nutritional Supplements Lead by Product
By type of symptom, digestive complaints such as indigestion accounted for 8,578 reports, or 45.9% of the total. Skin-related symptoms including itching came to 3,438 cases (18.4%), followed by symptoms such as dizziness at 2,200 cases (11.8%). Other symptoms, including weight gain, numbered 1,984 cases (10.6%).
By product, nutritional supplements drew the most reports at 3,215. Lactobacillus gasseri BNR17 accounted for 988 reports and oils containing DHA and EPA for 965. Probiotics came to 611 reports, psyllium husk dietary fiber to 517 and phosphatidylserine to 342.
Consumers who experience adverse symptoms can file a report through the Korea Food Safety Information Service's reporting center for health functional food adverse events, including online. It helps to have the product name, manufacturer or importer, expiration date, the period and amount consumed, and specific details of the symptoms. Related materials such as photographs of the product or symptoms and medical certificates can also be submitted.
"As the health functional food market grows, the number of adverse event reports is rising rapidly," Seo said. "For products that draw serious or repeated reports, there must be thorough investigation into the causes and swift follow-up measures."
She added that the management system should be strengthened so that "investigation results and safety information are provided transparently to the public, allowing consumers to choose health functional foods with confidence."