Food and drug safety ministry sets braille labeling rules for cosmetics

The food and drug safety ministry has laid out guidelines for putting braille and other accessible markings on cosmetics, the ministry said Monday.

The ministry enacted the guidelines on Oct. 20, establishing the institutional basis for expanding braille and other markings, it said. It had revised the Cosmetics Act on April 1, 2025, to allow information required on containers and packaging to be printed in braille or carried in a code that converts to voice or sign-language video, a change aimed at raising information accessibility for people with visual and hearing disabilities.

Minister Oh Yu-kyoung marked the step by visiting Innit Company, a cosmetics maker in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, that sells products carrying braille labels, ahead of Korean Braille Day on Nov. 4. She examined how products including sheet masks are labeled and what the labels say, according to the ministry.

The visit covered the whole labeling process, from making the labels and attaching them to checking the braille transcription, and the minister heard from industry officials about the difficulties they face.

"Braille and other markings are an essential measure for improving product accessibility for people with visual and hearing disabilities, and we will not spare policy support going forward," Oh said.

The minister also acknowledged the burden the change places on manufacturers. "There will be difficulties for the industry, including buying packaging materials and checking braille," she said, asking companies for continued cooperation so that cosmetics can be used safely.

The ministry said it will keep working with related organizations to give blind consumers accurate information and to build an environment where anyone can use cosmetics with confidence.