By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
The ling chiu mushroom, royal jelly, terrapins and four other so-called "healthy foods" will be excluded from the Korea Food and Drug Administration's list of foods that are good for the body.
The KFDA said Monday that their health effects haven't been scientifically verified. They can still be distributed, but the use of the "healthy food" label in their promotion and sales will be banned.
The items taken off from the list have long been considered as food to enhance health, often popular items Korean tourists buy on their overseas trips.
To obtain designation as a healthy food, applicants must submit test results verifying a food's beneficial effects.