An online listing that calls something an “exam supplement” has not, by using that phrase, established a recognized focus benefit. On October 28, 2026, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) announced that it had identified 23 businesses for improper advertising of ordinary foods to exam candidates and parents. It said it had requested administrative action from local governments and filed complaints. The release does not report a final adjudication or a blanket recall of these products.
What did the investigation concern?
The MFDS described products sold as ordinary foods—among them sugar-based processed foods, candies and other processed foods—while advertising suggested improved concentration or memory, or help with preventing or treating conditions such as ADHD. Its attachment also lists beverage bases, mixed drinks and liquid teas. These categories are more informative than a seller's “supplement,” “shot,” or “study” branding.
The agency reported approximately 410,000 boxes sold for roughly KRW 7.1 billion through the improper advertising. Those figures describe the cases as a group, not the sales, effectiveness or safety of every named product. The MFDS explicitly characterized the identified items as ordinary foods, not health-functional foods recognized for improving concentration.
Four distinct advertising issues
The release describes claims about prevention or treatment of disease, including references to ADHD and depression; descriptions such as “exam supplement” that could make an ordinary food look like a health-functional food; false or exaggerated promises of improved focus or immediate energy; and claims that transfer an ingredient's purported benefit to the finished product.
Some sellers used phrases such as “Daechi-dong supplement” in hashtags or search ads. The crucial question is not whether a product appears for a search term, but what food type the actual product is and what the seller is claiming for it. A study cited for an ingredient, for instance, should not be silently converted into a recognized benefit of the food being offered. The appendix gives examples by business; it does not establish that every listed business used every quoted phrase, or that similarly named products outside the list were part of the case.
The caffeine finding has a narrower scope
The agency says 10 products inspected used guarana extract, a caffeine-containing ingredient. It warns that excessive intake of foods made with caffeine-containing ingredients may cause insomnia, anxiety and palpitations, and that coffee or energy drinks consumed alongside them can add to the day's total. This is not a finding that all 23 businesses sold the same caffeinated product, nor that every product contained caffeine.
The highest-selling product had 100 mg of caffeine per sachet, according to the MFDS. The release compares that single-sachet quantity with 80% of its maximum daily recommendation for a 50 kg adolescent and 100% for a 40 kg adolescent. It does not give 100 mg as a standard dose for the other products. Nor is a numerical maximum a target for consumption. For a separate discussion of daily caffeine totals across foods, see our exam-season caffeine guide, which is based on the MFDS's October 20 guidance rather than this advertising case.
A short purchase-screen check
- Find the food category. Do not substitute an advertising keyword for the classification of the actual item.
- Separate the claims. Does the listing imply a recognized focus function, a disease benefit, or a result attributed only to an ingredient?
- Check caffeine for that item. Guarana is relevant to some, not all, products in this release. Also consider other caffeine-containing foods consumed the same day.
- Avoid self-diagnosis through advertising. The MFDS commissioner advised consulting a specialist when poor concentration or attention-deficit symptoms persist.
A Korean-language Naver account of how to read these ads is also available. This article reports the agency's October 28 announcement; check the actual product information and subsequent official updates before making a personal decision.
About the Author
Life Mokcha's editorial team separates advertising findings, product classification and caffeine cautions from the MFDS release. This is not a finding about an unlisted product or personalized medical advice.
