Is Stevia Tomato With Food Additives a "New Variety"? Numerous Cases of Misleading Advertising Detected

Processed Foods Marketed as Agricultural Produce, Worth KRW 860 Million Distributed

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Refers Cases to Investigators; Hygiene Violations Found at Some Manufacturers

Numerous online vendors have been found advertising and selling "Stevia Tomato," a processed food product made by injecting sweeteners, as if it were an ordinary agricultural product.

Unfair Advertising Case of Stevia Tomato. Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

On August 6, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that it had identified 15 companies engaging in misleading online advertising that made Stevia Tomato appear to be a typical agricultural product, as well as 3 manufacturers that violated sanitary management standards and other regulations. The ministry has requested administrative action from relevant local governments and reported the cases to investigative authorities.

Stevia Tomato is a processed fruit and vegetable product in which washed cherry tomatoes are injected—using pressurized or vacuum methods—with an immersion solution containing food additives such as enzymatically processed stevia and sucralose. The tomatoes are then washed, dried, and packaged. Legally, this is categorized as a processed food, distinctly separate from conventional agricultural produce like tomatoes.

However, the companies caught in this crackdown advertised Stevia Tomatoes on online shopping platforms using phrases such as "stevia farming method," "new variety," "natural sugars," and "natural sweetener," making the product appear like a standard agricultural item. Investigations showed that, using these practices, the companies sold approximately 62,000 units, totaling about KRW 860 million in sales.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety also conducted a hygiene inspection of 9 Stevia Tomato manufacturers. As a result, it found three companies in violation for: displaying a shelf-life longer than reported in their product manufacturing documentation; failing to conduct all required self-quality inspection items; and not complying with sanitary handling criteria for food products.

Additionally, tests were conducted on 18 Stevia Tomato products currently available on the market. Of these, two products were found to contain E. coli exceeding allowable limits. The authorities are set to issue administrative penalties for these products.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety advised consumers to carefully check labeling when purchasing Stevia Tomato, ensuring that they recognize it is a processed fruit and vegetable product containing sweeteners and food additives, not a regular agricultural product.

The ministry further explained that, because Stevia Tomatoes undergo washing and sweetener injection during production, the surface of the tomato is weakened, making it prone to becoming mushy during storage. The taste of the sweeteners may also change over time, turning bitter. Therefore, consumers should follow the stated storage instructions and consume the product within the indicated shelf-life.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated, "We will continue to strengthen our monitoring of high-interest food products and respond quickly to unfair online advertising to prevent consumer harm."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.