South Korea Proposes Ban on Food Product Names Resembling Pharmaceutical Brands to Prevent Consumer Misleading Claims

South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has published a draft amendment to the Standards for Unfair Labelling or Advertising of Foods, introducing new restrictions on the use of pharmaceutical product names, or similar names, in the labelling and advertising of foods and health functional foods. The proposal was released for public consultation on 15 May 2026 under MFDS Notice No. 2026-231 and aims to prevent consumers from mistakenly perceiving food products as medicines. According to the MFDS, the increasing use of names associated with well-known pharmaceuticals on food and health products may create confusion regarding the nature, efficacy, or intended use of such products.

Under the proposed amendment, labelling or advertising that uses all or part of the name of a pharmaceutical product would be explicitly prohibited as a form of misleading representation. The draft provides examples of prohibited expressions that resemble the names of widely recognized medicines, including references similar to obesity and metabolic disease treatments such as “Wegovy,” “Mounjaro,” “Tyzepatide-related brand references,” “Insulin-related references,” and “Ursa-related names,” even when partially modified or combined with other words. The amendment would add a new provision under Article 2 of the regulation, classifying the use of pharmaceutical product names or similar expressions as advertising that may cause foods, food additives, food-contact materials, packaging, or health functional foods to be perceived as medicinal products.

If adopted, the new requirements will apply to foods, food additives, food-contact materials, packaging materials, and health functional foods manufactured, processed, or imported after the regulation enters into force. Products already manufactured, processed, or imported before the effective date may continue to be sold until the end of their applicable shelf life. The proposal reflects South Korea’s continued efforts to strengthen oversight of food labelling and advertising practices and may require companies to reassess product branding strategies, particularly where product names reference or closely resemble established pharmaceutical brands.