4. Labeling Requirements

Dairy Products
South Korea

This section provides information on labeling requirements and the label approval process.

4.1 Mandatory Labeling Parameters

Category

Milk Products

1. Labeling items [1]

1. Product name
2. Food type including specific characteristics of the product (see Section 4.5 below)
3. Name of company and address
4. Country of origin
5. Use by date
6. Net content/Calories (kilocalories) corresponding to net weight of the milk product 
7. Ingredients list
8. Nutritional labeling: components with a ratio of daily nutritional intakes. Exception: if the fat content is less than 2.6% in processed milk.
9. Packaging materials
10. Nutrient name and its content and % of daily nutritional intake 
11. Storage condition
12. Return and exchange location
13. Cautions
    1. To report a case of suspected side effects, call 1577-2488 without area code
    2. Allergen: Milk
    3. Number of lactic acid bacteria (it must be labeled if applicable)

Product

Sterilized Milk (including liquid milk, low-fat milk)

Same as "Category" above.

Processed milk

Same as "Category" above.

Fermented milk

Same as "Category" above.

Concentrated milk

Same as "Category" above.

4.2 Languages

Please refer to Section 4.2 - Languages - of the "General Foods" guidebook for South Korea.

4.3 Mandatory Information on Stickers

Please refer to Section 4.3 - Mandatory Information on Stickers - of the "General Foods" guidebook for South Korea.

4.4 Product Legal Name

Product

Sterilized Milk (including liquid milk, low-fat milk)

Heat-treated milk or sterilized milk that is manufactured from 100% raw milk without modification according to Chapter 4.19 of the Food Code [2]: 

1. Pasteurized milk or sterilized whole milk
2. Pasteurized milk or sterilized low-fat milk
3. Pasteurized milk or sterilized skim milk

UHT treatment is applicable to the categories below:

1. Whole milk
2. Low-fat milk
3. Skim milk
4. Reconstituted milk

Refer to Section 4.5 below for the product-specific rules to use these product names.

Processed Milk

1. Fortified milk or fortified whole milk, or fortified low-fat milk or fortified skim milk, or fortified lactose hydrolyzed milk
2. Lactic acid bacteria-added milk
3. Lactose-hydrolyzed milk
4. Flavored processed milk

Refer to Section 4.5 below for the product-specific rules to use these product names.

Fermented Milk

1. Fermented milk
2. Thick fermented milk
3. Fermented cream
4. Thick fermented cream   
5. Fermented buttermilk  
6. Fermented milk powder

Refer to Section 4.5 below for the product-specific rules to use these product names.

Concentrated Milk

1. Concentrated milk
2. Defatted concentrated milk
3. Sweetened condensed milk
4. Sweetened condensed skim milk
5. Processed condensed milk

Refer to Section 4.5 below for the product-specific rules to use these product names.

4.5 Product-specific Labeling Statements

Category

Milk Products

1. Products with a high risk of spoilage or deterioration after opening milk must be labeled with the following statement: "Keep refrigerated after opening or consume quickly".

2. Allergen: milk. This must be indicated as per Table 2 under Article 5-1 of the Enforcement Rule of Food Labeling and Advertising Act [3].

3. In the case of Milk Products made from unpasteurized raw milk, the name of the raw material must be labeled as unpasteurized raw milk [3].

4. Fortified milk must label the name and content of the fortified ingredients. It may be labeled as fortified milk only if it contains more than 2,000 IU of vitamin A and 400 IU of vitamin D per liter [3].

5.  In the case of products containing lactic acid bacteria, if it is desired to label that it contains specific bacteria, the number of bacteria contained must be labeled [1]. (Example) “Lactobacillus acidophilus 100,000,000 (100 million) CFU/g”, “Lactobacillus acidophilus 100 million CFU/g”

6. In the case of pasteurized milk or sterilized milk, it should be labeled as a pasteurized product or sterilized product, respectively, and the pasteurization temperature or sterilization temperature and time should be labeled [1].

7. In the case of milk with milk fat that has been reduced and standardized, excluding low-fat and non-fat (skim) products among milk, reconstituted milk, fortified milk, and lactic acid bacteria-added milk: « standardized product » « standardized milk » or « standardization » should be labeled and the milk fat content should be labeled [1].

8. Low-fat (skim) products among milk, fortified milk, and lactic acid bacteria-added milk must label the milk fat content. If the milk fat content is less than 0.5 percent, it is called «  skim milk », « skim fortified milk »,” or « reduced skim milk »[1].

9. Among processed milk, low-fat products with milk fat content of less than 0.5% can be labeled as skim-processed milk [1].

10. Products that have been heat-treated after fermentation must be labeled as “heat-treated products after fermentation" [1].

11. Sterilized concentrated milk or skim concentrated milk can be labeled as “unsweetened condensed milk” or “unsweetened condensed skim milk”, respectively [1].

12. In the case of concentrated milk and whey, specific ingredients must not be used as product names [1].

13. Sweetened products among concentrated milk products must label the type and content of sugars used [1].

Product

Sterilized Milk (including liquid milk, low-fat milk)

1. Products with a high risk of spoilage or deterioration after opening milk must be labeled with the following statement: "Keep refrigerated after opening or consume quickly" [1].

2. Allergen: milk [1]

3. In the case of a sterilized or sterilized product, it must be labeled as a sterilized product or sterilized product and the sterilization temperature or sterilization temperature and time must be labeled. If it is intended to label low-temperature long-time pasteurization or high-temperature short-time pasteurization can be expressed as pasteurization [1].

Processed Milk

1. Products with a high risk of spoilage or deterioration after opening milk must be labeled with the following statement: Keep refrigerated after opening or consume quickly [1].

2. Allergen: milk [1]

3. Fortified milk must label the name and content of the fortified ingredients, and may be labeled as fortified milk only if it contains more than 2,000 IU of vitamin A and 400 IU of vitamin D per liter [1].

4.  In the case of products containing lactic acid bacteria, if it is desired to label that it contains specific bacteria, the number of bacteria contained must be labeled [1]. (Example) “Lactobacillus acidophilus 100,000,000 (100 million) CFU/g”, “Lactobacillus acidophilus 100 million CFU/g”.

5. In the case of milk excluding low-fat and non-fat (skim), reconstituted milk excluding low-fat and non-fat (slim), fortified milk excluding low-fat and non-fat (skim), and lactic acid bacteria-added milk excluding low-fat and non-fat (slim), where milk fat has been reduced and standardized, « standardized product » « standardized milk » or « standardization » must be labeled and the milk fat content must be labeled [1].

6. Low-fat products among milk, fortified milk, and lactic acid bacteria-added milk must label the milk fat content. If the milk fat content is less than 0.5 percent, it is called “skim milk”, “skim fortified milk”, or “reduced skim milk" [1].

7. Among processed milk, low-fat products with milk fat content of less than 0.5% can be labeled as skim-processed milk [1].

Fermented Milk

1. Products that have been heat-treated after fermentation must be labeled as "heat-treated products after fermentation” [1].

Concentrated Milk

1. Sterilized concentrated milk or skim concentrated milk can be labeled as “unsweetened condensed milk” or “unsweetened condensed skim milk”, respectively [1].

2. In the case of concentrated milk and whey, specific ingredients must not be used as product names [1].

3. Sweetened products among concentrated milk products must label the type and content of sugars used [1].

4.6 Authority Approval

Category

Milk Products

Milk Products are included as "general food with functional labeling" except for sterilized milk and condensed milk below. Please refer to Section 4.6 of the "General Foods" guidebook for South Korea.

Product

Sterilized Milk (including liquid milk, low-fat milk)

Heat-treated milk or sterilized milk is manufactured from 100% raw milk and standardized milk for fat content cannot be fortified with functional ingredients and, therefore, cannot be labeled with a functionality, so their label does not require approval [2]. 

Processed Milk

Please refer to Section 4.6 - Authority Approval - of the "General Foods" guidebook for South Korea.

Fermented Milk

Please refer to Section 4.6 - Authority Approval - of the "General Foods" guidebook for South Korea.

Concentrated Milk

For concentrated milk made by concentrating 100% milk and Sweetened condensed milk, these cannot be fortified with functional ingredients and, therefore, cannot be labeled with a functionality, so their label does not require approval. 

For Processed sweetened condensed milk, please refer to Section 4.6 - Authority Approval - of the "General Foods" guidebook for South Korea.

4.7 Additional Notes on Labeling

Please refer to Section 4.7 of the "General Foods" guidebook for South Korea.

4.8 References

1. Food Labeling Standard

https://www.law.go.kr/%ED%96%89%EC%A0%95%EA%B7%9C%EC%B9%99/%EC%8B%9D%ED%92%88%EB%93%B1%EC%9D%98%20%ED%91%9C%EC%8B%9C%EA%B8%B0%EC%A4%80

2. Korea Food Code

https://various.foodsafetykorea.go.kr/fsd/#/ext/Document/FC?searchNm=%EC%9C%A0%EA%B0%80%EA%B3%B5%ED%92%88&itemCode=FC0A006001002A044

3. Enforcement rule of Food Labeling and Advertising Act  

https://www.law.go.kr/%EB%B2%95%EB%A0%B9/%EC%8B%9D%ED%92%88%EB%93%B1%EC%9D%98%ED%91%9C%EC%8B%9C%E3%86%8D%EA%B4%91%EA%B3%A0%EC%97%90%EA%B4%80%ED%95%9C%EB%B2%95%EB%A5%A0%EC%8B%9C%ED%96%89%EA%B7%9C%EC%B9%99