Breaking! South Korea Issues the Meat Alternative and FSMP Standards in Food Code

On August 31, 2023, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) published a notification to officially revise the Food Code¹. The new version came into effect along with its issuance, except for some specific provisions.

The amendments mainly include updating pesticide residue requirements and introducing meat alternatives and new Foods for Special Medical Purposes (FSMP). Establishing new standards for meat alternative products indicates that this product is no longer a market concept and should comply with the mandatory standards before being put into the market.

Main amendments are highlighted below:

1. Meat Alternatives

The sales of meat alternatives (대체식품) have seen an upward trend in South Korea. The emerging hot item has gained the attention of food enterprises at home and abroad.

To guide safe manufacture, MFDS newly specifies the standards of meat alternatives, including the definition, manufacturing requirements, and product specifications.

According to the revised Food Code¹, foods to be claimed and sold as 'meat alternatives" refer to products manufactured using plant-based ingredients, microorganisms, edible insects, cell-cultured materials, or other substitutes instead of animal-derived ingredients. The shape, taste, and texture of meat alternatives should be similar to those of the existing animal-derived foods.

The manufacturing standards for four kinds of meat alternative products are introduced:

(1)	Food products manufactured in a similar form to dried sausages: Moisture content should be 35% or less. Food products manufactured in a similar form to semi-dried sausages or dry stored meats: Moisture content should be 55% or less.
(2)	Food products manufactured in a similar form to fermented dairy products: The ingredients (excluding lactic acid bacteria and yeast) blended in meat alternatives should undergo sterilization or disinfection, followed by a cooling process, before being used to manufacture the product. The ingredients should avoid being contaminated by microorganisms other than lactic acid bacteria or yeast. The lactic acid bacteria or yeast used in the product should be maintained at an appropriate temperature for cultivation or fermentation.
(3)	Food products manufactured in a similar form to processed fishery products: The oil used in the frying process: the acid value should be 2.5 or less, and the peroxide value should be 50 or less.
(4)	Food products manufactured in a similar form to jerky products: The produc should undergo necessary sterilization or disinfection process The product should be packaged hygienically

Additionally, the competent authority details the specifications of meat alternatives:

Acid value	less than 5.0 (applicable to foods undergoing frying process)
Peroxide value	Less than 60 (applicable to foods undergoing frying process)
Bacterial count	n=5, c=0, m=0 (applicable to foods undergoing sterilization process)
Escherichia coli	n=5, c=1, m=0, M=10 (applicable to foods undergoing disinfection process)
Coliforms	n=5, c=1, m=0, M=10 (applicable to foods that are not undergoing the disinfection process and can be eaten directly without processing or heating)

*Terms of “n, c, m, M” used in microorganism specifications refer to:

n: The number of test samples;
c: The maximum number of samples allowed; the number of samples exceeding “m” but not more than “M”; if the number of samples that exceed “m” but not more than "M” is not more than “c”, the results can be confirmed;
m: The allowable limit of microorganisms; if all samples are not more than “m”, the result can be confirmed;
M: The maximum limit of microorganisms allowed; if one or more samples exceed M, the results should not be confirmed.

Note that the requirements related to meat alternatives enter into effect on January 1, 2024. South Korea has made great efforts to complete the supervision of meat alternatives, such as designating the allowable food additive², and setting the legal ground for claiming meal alternative³. Enterprises are highly suggested to pay attention to product compliance and keep up with the latest regulatory requirements, as the requirements are getting enhanced.

2. New FSMP Products

The standards and specifications of “nutritional formulas for hypertension patients (고혈압환자용 영양조제식품)”, "meal-type dietary management foods for hypertension patients (고혈압환자용 식단형식품)", as well as "water and electrolytes supplements (수분 및 전해질보충용 조제식품)" are newly added to the Food Code¹. The authority expects to provide multiple dietary choices for patients by establishing new provisions for FSMP.

New FSMP	Manufacturing Standards
(1) Nutritional formulas for hypertension patients (고혈압환자용 영양조제식품): The product is manufactured and processed to assist with the dietary management of patients who require blood pressure control, such as those with hypertension (excluding patients with kidney disease). It is designed with limited sodium while providing suitable ingredients that can supplement potassium and dietary fibre. The product is formulated to provide the necessary nutritional components for individuals who need dietary control.	Sodium: less than 800mg per 1,000kcal Calcium: more than 1,100mg per 1,000kcal Dietary fibre: more than 11g per 1,000kcal Calories derived from fats: 15~30% of the total calories Calories derived from saturated fat: less than 7% of the total calories
(2) Meal-type dietary management foods for hypertension patients (고혈압환자용 식단형식품): The product is manufactured and processed to help with the dietary management of patients who require blood pressure control, such as those with hypertension (excluding patients with kidney disease). It is designed with limited sodium and saturated fat intake while providing suitable ingredients that can supplement potassium and dietary fibre. The product is formulated to replace an entire meal and meet the nutritional requirements of individuals.	Sodium: less than 800 mg Calcium: more than 700 mg Dietary fibre: more than 7g Calories derived from fats: 15~30% of the total calories Calories derived from saturated fat: less than 7% of the total calories
(3) Water and electrolytes supplements (수분 및 전해질보충용 조제식품): The product is manufactured and processed to help with the recovery of mild dehydration symptoms and electrolyte imbalances caused by physiological or clinical conditions. It helps adjust the content of carbohydrates, electrolytes, and osmotic pressure to facilitate rapid absorption of water and electrolytes in the body. The product is designed to replenish fluids and electrolytes effectively.	Glucose: 13.3~20.0 g per 1 L(kg) Sodium: 1.4~2.1 g per 1 L(kg) The concentration ratio of glucose and sodium water: 1:1~2:1 Calcium: 0.6~1.0 g Chlorine: 1.8~2.8 g Citric acid: 1.6~2.4 g Osmotic pressure: 200~310 mOsm/L (The standard shall also apply to or foods to be taken after dissolving in water or dilution following the suggested intake methods. In this case, the solution or diluted food shall follow the above requirements.)

3. Other Modifications

1) The inorganic arsenic in brown rice is newly limited to no more than 0.35 mg/kg. (Implemented on March 1, 2024)

2) The legal grounds for manufacturing non-heated foods for the elderly are added.

3) The erucic acid (C22:1) in the rape seed oil’s final products shall not exceed 2%. (Implemented on January 1, 2025)

4) Deep ocean sea salt is recategorized as “other salt”. (Implemented on January 1, 2026)

5) The requirements for clostridium perfringens in raw foods are clarified as “n=5, c=2, m=100, M=1,000”.

6) The Maximum Residual Limits (MRLs) of 87 pesticides are modified

7) The residual tolerance for Dyclazuril in eggs is newly added.

*Latest requirements for pesticide MRLs information can be found here: New Pesticide MRLs Information Platform⁴.