Over 4,600 High‑Calorie, Low‑Nutrition Foods Banned Around Schools in Korea
Creatrip Team
4 months ago
South Korea reported that 4,642 high‑calorie, low‑nutrition products are on the banned list for children’s food safety zones as of this month. Under the Children’s Dietary Safety Management Act, convenience stores, snack shops and other approved vendors near schools or after‑school academies may not sell items that exceed limits for calories, sugar, saturated fat or sodium, or that lack sufficient protein. Top offenders by calories were all pizzas—Gorgonzola pizza topped the list at 754 kcal per serving—while sugary drinks dominated the sugar rankings (one mixed fruit drink had 82 g sugar). Many popular snacks were high in saturated fat but low in protein. Imported instant cup noodles led sodium levels, with one Chinese product containing 2,157 mg (above WHO daily guidance). The government is expanding protected zones and testing mandatory labeling in online ads and YouTube to help children (who find it hard to interpret nutrition information) avoid these “obesity‑risk” snacks.
