By Kim Bo-eun
Sales of "energy drinks" containing large quantities of caffeine will be banned in schools from next year until 2015, as part of a scheme managed by the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). Moreover, stores in all areas with significant unit sales of beverages containing more than 0.15 milligrams of caffeine per millimeter will also be prohibited from selling the popular pick-me-ups.
The amount of caffeine in a 250 milliliter can ranges from 60 to 86.4 milligrams. The recommended daily caffeine intake for children under the age of 15 set by the Korea Food and Drug Administration is 75 mg.
The ban on sale comes as a part of a comprehensive plan devised by the administration to help children develop healthier eating habits.
Another measure the KFDA will pursue is to expand the number and type of areas that require monitoring of food sales, which is already conducted in schools. Areas with concentrations of private academies and playgrounds will be subject to checks and regulation.
The plan will also reinforce procedures followed to check the contents of imported snacks, increasing the percentage of samples to be examined from the current 5 percent to 20 percent.
Cafeterias at kindergartens and daycare centers will also be subject to inspections. Daycare centers with fewer than 50 students will receive increased support to provide healthier, more nutritious meals. Support centers conducting these inspections will be increased by 70 by 2015, from the current 21.
“We hope that through this plan, we can increase food safety for children,” said an official.