The MFDS said that these banned ingredients were discovered in its recent inspection of overseas-made health supplements sold into South Korea via e-commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay.
In South Korea, these ingredients are subject to an import ban under Article 25-3 of the Special Act on the Safety Management of Imported Food and are said to pose a risk to public health.
As of April 2026, there are 312 ingredients subject to an import ban, including narcotics, medicinal ingredients, and illicit substances.
The regulator uncovered these banned ingredients when inspecting overseas-made health supplements making chronic disease claims, as these products are of high interest among Korean consumers. Almost three in 10 Koreans suffer from hypertension (28.6%), with 26.7% diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia and 13.2% have diabetes, based on data released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency last year.
According to the MFDS, Gymnema sylvestre was found in supplements claiming to treat diabetes, while others, such as myrrh and Indian sandalwood, were found in products claiming to alleviate hyperlipidemia and hypertension.
However, the regulator said that the ingredient Gymnema sylvestre could cause drug-induced hepatitis and, when used with insulin, can cause hypoglycemia. The usage of myrrh and Indian sandalwood can also cause gastrointestinal disorders.
12 banned ingredients found in 18 products
The MFDS inspected a total of 30 products and found that 18 contained ingredients banned for use in health supplements in South Korea.
Within these 18 products, 12 banned ingredients were found, including botanicals and pharmaceutical drugs. Most of these products were made in the U.S.A.
Aside from the aforementioned ingredients, the other banned ingredients found include Bacopa, Shilajit, Terminalia arjuna, Buchu or chive leaves and bovine-derived ingredients.
Bacopa, according to the MFDS, can lead to side effects such as an increased frequency of bowel movements, nausea, and abdominal pain, while Shilajit can affect hormone levels and/or cause heavy metal poisoning.
Pharmaceutical ingredients like L-Citrulline and Lovastatin were also found in the products, which the MFDS said can cause issues such as heartburn, changes in urination frequency, cough, edema for the former, and muscle damage such as rhabdomyolysis for the latter.
“As a result of the inspection, labeling of raw materials and ingredients subject to import bans was confirmed in a total of 18 products, including 11 products claiming efficacy in treating hyperlipidemia and hypertension and seven products claiming efficacy in treating diabetes; among these, lovastatin, a hyperlipidemia treatment ingredient, was detected in one product,” the regulator said.
“In particular, ‘lovastatin,’ detected in one of the products labeled with myrrh, can cause muscle weakness or rhabdomyolysis, and caution is required as it is classified as a prescription drug requiring a doctor’s prescription in Korea.”
The regulator has since worked with customs to suspend import clearance of the 18 products and alerted the Korea Communications Standards Commission to block access to webpages selling them.
Info made public
Information on the 18 products containing the banned ingredients was also made public on MFDS’ website.
The intention is to raise awareness and help consumers avoid purchasing such products.
As of April 22, 2026, a total of 4,653 products containing ingredients banned for use in health supplements and food products are found on the website.
