Korea food labeling for imported food: Korean label, stickers, 19 allergens

What a Korean food label must show

The label of imported food shows the product name, the contents and ingredient names, the importer's name and address, the foreign manufacturer's name, a manufacture date, use-by date or best-before date, cautions and other items set by the Decree. The product name must be the same as the name declared to the licensing or inspection authority, and the net content is given by weight, volume or number of pieces, with the weight or volume in parentheses when a count is shown.

A use-by date replaced the shelf-life wording from 1 January 2023. Korea does not set mandatory use-by periods: manufacturers set their own dates but may need to provide supporting evidence. Imported agricultural products generally need an origin mark under the Foreign Trade Act, which the Korea Customs Service checks at clearance.

Korea food label checklist for exporters

• Legible Korean label, printed or on a sticker that cannot be easily removed
• Product name matching the import declaration
• Ingredients in descending order by weight
• Importer's name and address, and the foreign manufacturer's name
• Use-by or best-before date, net content and country of origin
• The 19 allergens, and nutrition for listed food types

Allergens, stickers and nutrition

Korea lists 19 allergens: poultry eggs, milk, buckwheat, peanuts, soybeans, wheat, mackerel, crab, shrimp, pork, peaches, tomatoes, products with added sulfites, walnuts, beef, chicken, squid, shellfish (oyster, abalone and mussel) and pine nuts. Products made on lines that also handle these allergens need a statement that they are made in the same facility.

Korean stickers or tags may be used, but they cannot be easily removed or cover the original label. Nutrition labeling is mandatory only for listed food types such as confectionery, bread, beverages, noodles, edible oils, dairy, and processed meat and egg products, and it must be in Korean with Korean reference values; foods outside these types do not need it. Ingredients under 2% by weight may be listed out of order, and a product whose principal display panel is under 30 cm² may list only its top five ingredients.