"Effective on various diseases"...500,000 YouTubers sell unauthorized food

[Anchor]
An operator of a YouTube channel in the herbal field with more than 500,000 subscribers was caught by the Food and Drug Administration while selling unauthorized food.

The products sold were unfairly advertised as if they were effective against various diseases, but the hygiene conditions were not good, such as the detection of food poisoning bacteria in the products.

The car is a journalist.

[Reporter]
Officials from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety raid the YouTube channel operator's office.

The foods we sell to our subscribers are packed in wrappers and bags.

[Youtube channel official: (Can eating this cure cancer?) Terminal cancer?) I do a lot after looking at Donguibogam. Donguibogam.]

The operator of a YouTube channel with more than 520,000 subscribers is A in his 60s.

Since March 2016, he has posted a video introducing herbs, and since 2020, he has started selling food made of lettuce stems.

Although he did not qualify for the pharmaceutical field, he claimed to be a professor and turned out to be entrusted with the manufacture of products sold to unauthorized facilities without food manufacturing or processing registration.

It also advertised as if the product was effective in improving male function or treating various diseases such as cancer and dementia.

[Jo Ji Hoon / Busan Regional Food and Drug Administration President: At first, they sold illegal food to the elderly after securing viewers as if explaining the herbal medicine and wild plants]

Because safety has not been confirmed, herbal medicines that cannot be used as food were included in the products sold, and food poisoning bacteria were detected in some products.

The buyers were confirmed to be more than 2,200, more than 230 million won, and most of them were in their 50s and 70s who were interested in health.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety handed over four people, including Mr. A and the operator of the manufacturing facility, to the prosecution and asked consumers to be careful about unauthorized food.

YTN Cha Sang-eun.