2025 K-Pet Fair. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 16, (Korea Bizwire) — A recent investigation by the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) has uncovered widespread mislabeling and deceptive advertising practices in pet supplements sold both online and offline, raising concerns over product safety and consumer misinformation.
The agency announced on Tuesday that out of 20 pet nutritional products it tested, a significant number failed to meet labeling standards or contained inaccurate claims regarding their functional ingredients.
For instance, “Bite Me Support Chew Hip & Joint,” marketed as a joint supplement, was found to contain no glucosamine — a key ingredient commonly associated with joint health.
Seven other products, including “38.5 Colostrum Spoon for Cat,” “Dr. Canine Organic Roganic Vita,” and “Barun Nutri Pet Kang Chew Joint,” were found to contain only 1 to 38 percent of the functional ingredient amounts stated on their labels.
One product, “Velvet My View Dog,” exceeded safety limits for selenium, a mineral that can cause adverse effects such as vomiting, diarrhea, and hair loss in excessive amounts. The detected selenium level was 6 parts per million (ppm), well above the 2 ppm safety threshold.
In addition, of the 17 products that claimed to include vitamins A and D, seven had no detectable vitamin D, and four contained neither vitamin, contrary to their packaging.
The KCA also found widespread misleading advertising. A review of 100 online advertisements revealed that 67 of them claimed the products could prevent or treat diseases, despite having no scientific basis.
According to South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs regulations, pet supplements are prohibited from promoting disease-specific therapeutic benefits.
In response, the agency has recommended quality improvements to companies whose products failed testing and ordered correction or removal of misleading advertisements. It also urged the Ministry of Agriculture to implement stricter oversight and develop clearer guidelines for managing the functional ingredients and advertising of pet supplements.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
