A blind person reading a book printed in braille in this file photo provided by the King Sejong Institute Foundation.
SEOUL, July 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea said Wednesday it has established new guidelines for food labels for disabled people when displaying information in braille or with audio/sign language conversion codes.
The guidelines are aimed at making it easier for sight or hearing impaired people to understand food information.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety established the guidelines through discussions with organizations of people with disabilities, consumer groups, academic groups and food industry companies.
The guidelines recommend that braille labeling should follow the Korean Braille Standard and use perforated braille.
The information indicated in braille should include the product name, while other information such as food type, content, type of business and storage method can also be included.
Such indications should be positioned on the main product label printed with product logos and trademarks.
Codes converting text to voice or sign language video should be indicated using indelible ink or engraving. If such methods are not possible due to packaging design, stickers can be used as an alternative.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
