FDA import refusals
FDA import refusals: candy and chewing gum from South Korea
FDA category: Candy without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum · October 2016 to June 24, 2026
FDA refused 75 candy and chewing gum shipment lines from South Korea between October 2016 and June 24, 2026, 8 of them in 2026; the most refused products were jellied candy and hard candy without nuts and fruit, most often for UNSAFE COL (color additive unsafe under section 721).
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 75
- candy and chewing gum lines refused since October 2016
- 8
- refused so far in 2026
- 10
- firms with the most records, listed below
Candy and chewing gum refusals from South Korea by year
Shipment lines FDA refused each year. The table has the same numbers as the chart.
| Year | Refusal lines | vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | 8 | |
| 2025 | 5 | +400% |
| 2024 | 1 | -89% |
| 2023 | 9 | +50% |
| 2022 | 6 | 0% |
| 2021 | 6 | +20% |
| 2020 | 5 | -50% |
| 2019 | 10 | +11% |
| 2018 | 9 | -44% |
| 2017 | 16 |
Jellied candy refusals from South Korea
FDA refused 20 jellied candy lines from South Korea between October 2016 and June 24, 2026, 27% of the candy and chewing gum lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of candy and chewing gum |
|---|---|---|
| Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | 12 | 16.0% |
| Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), with fruit (without chocolate) | 8 | 10.7% |
Recent jellied candy refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chorok F&B Co., LtdHoengseong-Gun, South Korea | Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | REFUSE EI | Source | |
| Chorok F&B Co., LtdHoengseong-Gun, South Korea | Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | REFUSE EI | Source | |
| Chorok F&B Co., LtdHoengseong-Gun, South Korea | Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | REFUSE EI | Source | |
| Chorok F&B Co., LtdHoengseong-Gun, South Korea | Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | REFUSE EI | Source | |
| Chorok F&B Co., LtdHoengseong-Gun, South Korea | Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | REFUSE EI | Source |
Hard candy without nuts and fruit refusals from South Korea
FDA refused 11 hard candy without nuts and fruit lines from South Korea between October 2016 and June 24, 2026, 15% of the candy and chewing gum lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of candy and chewing gum |
|---|---|---|
| Hard candy without nuts and fruit, n.e.c. (without chocolate) | 11 | 14.7% |
Recent hard candy without nuts and fruit refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kukje Confectionery Co.,Ltd/Cheongju, South Korea | Hard candy without nuts and fruit, n.e.c. (without chocolate) | UNSAFE COLCOLOR LBLG | Source | |
| William XylitolUlsan, South Korea | Hard candy without nuts and fruit, n.e.c. (without chocolate) | UNSAFE COLLIST INGRELACKS N/C+3 | Source | |
| Kukje Confectionery Co.,Ltd/Cheongju, South Korea | Hard candy without nuts and fruit, n.e.c. (without chocolate) | COLOR LBLG | Source |
Flavored candy refusals from South Korea
FDA refused 10 flavored candy lines from South Korea between October 2016 and June 24, 2026, 13% of the candy and chewing gum lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of candy and chewing gum |
|---|---|---|
| Flavored candy, hard (live savers, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | 8 | 10.7% |
| Flavored candy, soft (live savers, etc.), with fruit (without chocolate) | 2 | 2.7% |
Recent flavored candy refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kukje Confectionery Co.,Ltd/Cheongju, South Korea | Flavored candy, hard (live savers, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | UNSAFE COLCOLOR LBLG | Source | |
| Kukje Confectionery Co.,Ltd/Cheongju, South Korea | Flavored candy, hard (live savers, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | UNSAFE COLCOLOR LBLG | Source | |
| William XylitolUlsan, South Korea | Flavored candy, hard (live savers, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | LIST INGREINCONSPICULACKS N/C | Source |
Other candy and chewing gum products refused from South Korea
| Product group | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hard candy with fruit | 8 | 10.7% |
| Gel cups candy | 7 | 9.3% |
| Candy specialties | 5 | 6.7% |
| Candy without chocolate n.e.c. | 5 | 6.7% |
| Soft candy with fruit | 4 | 5.3% |
Why FDA refused candy and chewing gum from South Korea
FDA records a charge code on each refused line; one line can carry several.
| Charge code | Meaning | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNSAFE COL | Color additive unsafe under section 721 | 48 | 37% |
| LIST INGRE | Ingredients not listed | 23 | 18% |
| COLOR LBLG | Artificial coloring not declared | 20 | 15% |
| NUTRIT LBL | Nutrition information missing from label | 7 | 5% |
| INCONSPICU | Required information not conspicuous | 6 | 5% |
| LACKS N/C | Net quantity statement missing | 6 | 5% |
| NO ENGLISH | Required label information not in English | 6 | 5% |
| REFUSE EI | Appears to have been manufactured, processed, or packed under insanitary conditions. | 6 | 5% |
| USUAL NAME | Common or usual name missing | 6 | 5% |
| LABELING | Fair Packaging and Labeling Act | 3 | 2% |
South Korea candy and chewing gum firms with the most FDA records
Counts are FDA records in SupplierRadar's data, not a ranking of quality.
| Firm | City | FDA records |
|---|---|---|
| Kukje Confectionery Co.,Ltd/ | Cheongju | 13 |
| Miryang Agar-Agar Co., Ltd. | Milyang-si | 8 |
| Crown Jincheon Factory | Jincheon | 7 |
| Chorok F&B Co., Ltd | Hoengseong-Gun | 6 |
| Cheong Woo Confectionery Co., Ltd. | Pocheon | 5 |
| William Xylitol | Ulsan | 5 |
| Dong A Confectionery Co. | Busan, Korea | 4 |
| Crown Bakery Inc. | Pusan | 4 |
| Ilgwang Bakery | Pusan | 4 |
| Lotte Confectionery Co., Ltd. | Seoul | 2 |
Latest candy and chewing gum refusals from South Korea
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kukje Confectionery Co.,Ltd/Cheongju, South Korea | Flavored candy, hard (live savers, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | UNSAFE COLCOLOR LBLG | Source | |
| Kukje Confectionery Co.,Ltd/Cheongju, South Korea | Hard candy without nuts and fruit, n.e.c. (without chocolate) | UNSAFE COLCOLOR LBLG | Source | |
| Chorok F&B Co., LtdHoengseong-Gun, South Korea | Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | REFUSE EI | Source | |
| Chorok F&B Co., LtdHoengseong-Gun, South Korea | Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | REFUSE EI | Source | |
| Chorok F&B Co., LtdHoengseong-Gun, South Korea | Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | REFUSE EI | Source | |
| Chorok F&B Co., LtdHoengseong-Gun, South Korea | Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | REFUSE EI | Source | |
| Chorok F&B Co., LtdHoengseong-Gun, South Korea | Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | REFUSE EI | Source | |
| Chorok F&B Co., LtdHoengseong-Gun, South Korea | Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | REFUSE EI | Source | |
| Miryang Agar-Agar Co., Ltd.Milyang-si, South Korea | Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | UNSAFE COLCOLOR LBLG | Source | |
| Miryang Agar-Agar Co., Ltd.Milyang-si, South Korea | Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | UNSAFE COLCOLOR LBLG | Source | |
| Crown Jincheon FactoryJincheon, South Korea | Candy without chocolate n.e.c | UNSAFE COLLIST INGRENO ENGLISH | Source | |
| Crown Jincheon FactoryJincheon, South Korea | Candy without chocolate n.e.c | LIST INGREFLAVR LBLGCOLOR LBLG+2 | Source | |
| Crown Jincheon FactoryJincheon, South Korea | Candy without chocolate n.e.c | LIST INGREFLAVR LBLGCOLOR LBLG+2 | Source | |
| Kukje Confectionery Co.,Ltd/Cheongju, South Korea | Flavored candy, hard (live savers, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | UNSAFE COLCOLOR LBLG | Source | |
| William XylitolUlsan, South Korea | Candy without chocolate n.e.c | USUAL NAMENUTRIT LBL | Source | |
| William XylitolUlsan, South Korea | Candy specialties, n.e.c. (without chocolate) | UNSAFE COLLIST INGRELACKS N/C+4 | Source | |
| William XylitolUlsan, South Korea | Candy without chocolate n.e.c | LACKS N/CUSUAL NAMENUTRIT LBL+1 | Source | |
| William XylitolUlsan, South Korea | Hard candy without nuts and fruit, n.e.c. (without chocolate) | UNSAFE COLLIST INGRELACKS N/C+3 | Source | |
| William XylitolUlsan, South Korea | Flavored candy, hard (live savers, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate) | LIST INGREINCONSPICULACKS N/C | Source | |
| Kukje Confectionery Co.,Ltd/Cheongju, South Korea | Hard candy without nuts and fruit, n.e.c. (without chocolate) | COLOR LBLG | Source |
Questions about candy and chewing gum refusals from South Korea
- How many candy and chewing gum shipments from South Korea did FDA refuse in 2026?
- FDA refused 8 shipment lines of candy and chewing gum from South Korea in 2026 through June 24, 2026, compared with 5 in 2025.
- Why does FDA refuse candy and chewing gum from South Korea?
- FDA records a charge code on every refused shipment line. For candy and chewing gum from South Korea the most frequent are UNSAFE COL (color additive unsafe under section 721, 48 lines), LIST INGRE (ingredients not listed, 23 lines) and COLOR LBLG (artificial coloring not declared, 20 lines). A charge describes what FDA's reference table says about one shipment line, not about every firm.
- Which import alerts cover candy and chewing gum from South Korea?
- As of October 25, 2026, no import alert numbered under this category lists a firm in South Korea in SupplierRadar's records. General food alerts numbered 99-xx can still list South Korea firms; see the country page.
Built for the person who signs the FSVP file
Buying candy and chewing gum from South Korea?
Check each South Korea supplier against every FDA record in one paste, free for five suppliers. Watch the ones you buy from and get the source the day a record changes.
SupplierRadar is not affiliated with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Data comes from public FDA records and may contain errors. This is not legal advice; importers remain responsible for their supplier evaluations.