Samyang’s Buldak spicy ramen-flavored toothpaste facing possible recall order

Samyang’s Buldak super spicy ramen is a trending noodle soup product due to its level of spiciness. And now, the popular instant noodle brand even collaborated with Aekyung personal care manufacturing company to release a super spicy toothpaste.

The extremely spicy Buldak ramen-flavored toothpaste was produced and sold by the Aekyung company, but The Korea Times reported that this may be pulled out from the market at some point soon.

South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) may issue a recall on all of Aekyung’s controversial line of 2080 Hochi toothpaste products which include the Buldak ramen toothpaste. The government is expected to order Aekyung to remove its toothpaste brands from retail stores in the country.

The possibility of a recall was due to the ministry’s concern that people may confuse the toothpaste for actual food since even the package features the logo and color of the spicy Buldak ramen. The MFDS also mentioned that this case is similar to the time when Aekyung’s 2080 Hochi Toothpaste unit also created a curry-flavored toothpaste after teaming up with Ottogi in 2020.

Then again, the ministry has yet to finalize its decision of whether to order the personal hygiene product maker to recall the Buldak spicy toothpaste or simply change the design of the tube to avoid confusion and prevent people from mistaking it as actual food.

"No person shall manufacture, import, store or display any non-drugs that are likely to mislead the use of them pursuant to Article 62 Subparagraph 10 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act for the purpose of selling them," an official of MFDS said in a statement. "We will leave everything open and review necessary measures."

Aekyung was contacted for comments on the matter, but it reportedly declined to provide a direct answer if it will voluntarily recall all of its 2080 Hochi Toothpaste products. Instead, a company official said, "We stopped producing Hochi Toothpaste late last year and for the products that have already been distributed through various retail channels, we have no control over them."