The Korea Consumer Agency announced that unauthorized ingredients banned from domestic import have been detected in overseas direct-purchase food products advertised as enhancing students' concentration or promoting height growth.

The Korea Consumer Agency conducted a safety investigation on 60 food products distributed through domestic and international online platforms that claim to improve concentration and boost height growth.

According to the agency, ingredients or raw materials subject to import bans, akin to prescription drugs, were detected in 37 products, accounting for over 60 percent of the total tested.

Among 30 overseas direct-purchase food products claiming to boost concentration, 18 contained prescription drug ingredients such as vinpocetine, a cerebral vasodilator, and L-Dopa, a medication used to relieve Parkinson's disease symptoms.

If adolescents consume these substances without a doctor's prescription, they face risks of side effects including sleep disorders and nerve cell damage.

The Consumer Agency warned that with the CSAT (College Scholastic Ability Test) less than a month away, students consuming such direct-imported foods to improve concentration could instead experience side effects such as drowsiness and headaches.

[Interview / Kim Bo-kyung, Head of the Food and Drug Safety Team at the Consumer Agency Safety Monitoring Bureau: Because these are products marketed to enhance concentration, they are not proven to actually have such effects. Since they are consumed by adolescents in their growing years, long-term side effects or adverse reactions can occur.]

Products claiming to promote height growth also contained 5-HTP, a pharmaceutical ingredient that can cause side effects such as a sudden drop in blood pressure and gastrointestinal disorders.

The Korea Consumer Agency stated that it has recommended purchase agencies and online platforms selling the investigated products to halt their sales.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has also requested the Korea Customs Service to withhold customs clearance to block the domestic entry of these products.

Reported by Kim Taewon | Camera Reporting by Lee Sang-hak | Video Editing by Lee So-young | VJ by Lee Ji-hwan | Produced by SBS Digital News