Korean convenience food label glossary
The food label glossary gives each term in Korean and English with a plain definition and its source.
- Samgak gimbap (삼각김밥)
- A triangle-shaped rice item sold in Korean convenience stores. The filling is named in the ingredient list rather than reliably in the product name.
- Dosirak (도시락)
- A packed meal of rice and side dishes in one tray. Convenience store dosirak are often sold for reheating.
- Ramyeon (라면)
- Korean instant noodles, sold in bags and in cups. The Korea Tourism Organization article lists ramyeon as one of the main convenience store food groups.
- Ingredient list (원재료명)
- The list of ingredients on a package. Labelled allergens appear here whatever the amount used.
- Allergen box (알레르기 표시란)
- A separate box on the label, set apart by its background colour, that gathers the allergens in the product.
- Cross-contact caution (혼입 주의 문구)
- A statement added when an allergen may unavoidably be mixed in through the same manufacturing process. It gives no amount.
- Use-by date (소비기한)
- The period within which food can be eaten without a safety problem if the printed storage method is followed. Used on Korean labels from 1 January 2023.
- Sell-by date (유통기한)
- The date format used on Korean labels before use-by dates replaced it from 2023.
- Microwave-use mark (전자레인지용)
- A statement on a container that it is made for microwave use. MFDS advises checking it rather than relying on the material name.
- Polypropylene (PP)
- A plastic MFDS lists among materials generally usable in a microwave. Heat resistance still depends on how a container was made.
- Nutrient content basis amount (영양성분 함량 기준량)
- The amount of food that a set of nutrition values describes, recorded in the MFDS nutrient DB.
- Product report number (품목제조보고번호)
- A number recorded in the MFDS nutrient DB for processed foods. With the manufacturer, it helps confirm that a record is the same product.
- Not provided
- A blank value. Korea Convenience Food Guide never treats it as zero or as “free of” anything.
Where does this information come from?
- Let us learn about allergen labelling (revised) The list of labelled allergens is the one shown in this 2022 guide; check the current notice before relying on it.
- Microwave-only food containers: know them and use them right
- Notice: early adoption and guidance period for use-by date labelling
- Food nutrient DB information (Open API)
- Keeping Up with the Convenience Stores in Korea Used for the food categories travellers meet. Product promotions and brand descriptions in the article are not repeated here.