[2026 National Assembly Audit] "Despite Efficacy Controversy"... Albumin Food Production Surges 21-Fold

Assemblywoman Nam Insoon: More than 60 cases of misleading ads detected this year alone
"Their effects differ from albumin blood products; we must prevent consumer confusion"

Production of albumin-based food products surged more than 21-fold last year compared with the previous year, while online improper advertising that could mislead consumers into thinking the products were medicines or health functional foods also increased.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for a parliamentary audit and released on Oct. 13 by Nam In-soon, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker on the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, domestic production of albumin-based food products rose from 44 tons in 2022 to 74 tons in 2023 and 237 tons in 2024, before surging to 5,242 tons last year. The year-on-year increase was a staggering 2,112%.

Cases of improper advertising of albumin-based food products also increased. The number of cases involving online improper advertising for food products whose names included “albumin” or “ALBUMIN” fell from 20 in 2022 to nine in 2023 and 11 in 2024, before rising to 61 last year. A further 63 cases had been identified through August this year, already exceeding the total for all of last year.

The problem is that these products are being promoted in ways that could confuse consumers, even though albumin-based food products and albumin blood products are entirely different. Albumin blood products are medicines that use proteins extracted from human blood plasma in injectable form. Albumin-based food products, by contrast, are generally made primarily from egg whites and are neither medicines nor health functional foods.

“Despite having entirely different effects from albumin blood products, cases of companies competitively promoting albumin-based foods made from egg whites as ‘drinkable albumin supplements high in albumin’ have not been eradicated,” Nam said. “There are concerns that consumers could suffer harm as a result of being misled or confused.”

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said enforcement was difficult because online ads can be quickly created and changed, and products are distributed through a wide variety of channels, including online malls, open markets, social networking services (SNS) and YouTube. However, the ministry conducted three on-site inspections, in April, June and September this year, identifying 20 violators and requesting administrative action and filing complaints. It said it would respond firmly, including through on-site inspections and complaints, against companies that engage in repeated or habitual improper advertising.

The ministry is revising labeling and advertising rules to prevent consumers from mistaking general food products for medicines or health functional foods. In June this year, it issued an advance administrative notice on a proposed revision to the relevant standards, requiring the main display panel of general food products in capsule or tablet form to carry the phrase “Not a medicine or health functional food” in lettering at least 12 points in size. The ministry is proceeding with the administrative steps needed to complete the revision by the end of this year. In May this year, it also issued legislative and administrative notices on proposed revisions to the Enforcement Decree of the Food Labeling and Advertising Act and related public notices. The proposed revisions would classify the labeling or advertising of food products using the names of medicines or similar names as improper labeling or advertising.

“We must ensure that consumers do not mistake or confuse general food products with medicines or health functional foods, thereby enhancing their right to know and minimizing harm,” Nam said. “We should implement the regulatory improvements as soon as possible and ensure that the rules take hold smoothly through education and outreach for businesses and cooperation among relevant agencies.”

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