Reading Korean Food Labels: A Simple Starter Guide
Editorial illustration by KEYWORD_WORLD; simplified packaging, not a real product label. LIVING IN KOREA · GUIDE 08 A food package can have a lot of small print. You do not need to translate every word at once. Start with four questions: What is in it? How should I store it? What does the date mean? How much am I eating? If you have a food allergy, check the ingredients and allergy warnings first. 1. Read the word beside the date 소비기한 means use-by date. It applies when the food is stored as directed on the package. Do not eat food after this date. The official use-by guide explains why storage matters. 제조일자 means the date the food was made. It is not a use-by date. 유통기한 means sell-by date. Do not treat these different dates as the same thing. For example, 2026년 9월 20일 means September 20, 2026. This is only a date-reading example. Read the words beside any printed date to understand what it refers to. Do not add a fixed number of days to a sell-by date to work out a safe eating date. I...