What is Inspection Order？
As stipulated in Article 22 of Imported Food Act1, when the imported foods have been detected with hazardous substances at home and abroad or have a high non-compliance rate following the result of the import Inspections, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) can order the importer to undergo a thorough inspection* by the designated inspection agencies. Only when the inspection result is compliant can the enterprise apply for the import declaration of the foods.
*Thorough inspection: Import inspections during custom clearance include documents inspection, on-site inspection, random sampling inspection, and thorough inspection. The thorough inspection is the strictest inspection type. |
Status of Imported Foods Subject to Inspection Order
Data source from MFDS announcement (2022.9.30)2 , MFDS announcement (2022.10.7)3, MFDS announcement (2022.11.3)4, MFDS announcement (2022.12.5)5, MFDS announcement (2022.12.12)6, MFDS announcement (2023.2.9)7, and MFDS announcement (2023.3.3)8.
Updates: On March 14, 2023, MFDS issued a notification9 to prolong the inspection periods for Tuna from Japan and "other salt" from Pakistan. (marked in red) |
No. | Period | Imported Foods | Exporting Country | Inspection Items |
1 | 2016.2.29. ~2024.2.29. | Natural spice | India | Metallic foreign bodies |
2 | 2017.8.30. ~2023.8.29. | Products containing more than 50% of Drumstick (Moringa) in powder form | China, India, Sri Lanka | Metallic foreign bodies |
3 | 2018.6.25. ~2023.6.24. | flavored oil (limited to 10 manufacturers) | China | Benzene |
4 | 2022.10.22. ~2023.10.21. | berry (blueberry, lingonberry, bilberry), and jam and processed fruit products manufactured with the above berries | Poland, France, Italy, Germany, Finland, Austria, Sweden | Radioactivity (Iodine, Cesium) |
5 | 2018.12.24. ~2023.12.23. | Products containing more than 50% of Noni in powder form (limited to 3 manufacturers) | Vietnam, Indonesia | Metallic foreign bodies |
6 | 2019.4.23. ~2023.4.22. | Sarcodon aspratus mushroom | Russia | Radioactivity (Iodine, Cesium) |
7 | 2020.4.23. ~2023.4.22. | Goji berry | China | Pesticides (Acetamiprid, Chlorobenzuron, Triflumuron, Chlorpyrifos, Prochloraz, Bifenthrin, Fludioxonil) |
8 | 2020.6.25. ~2023.6.24. | Basil (leaf) | Thailand | Pesticides (Methoxyfenozide, Bifenthrin, Acetamiprid, Carbaryl, Carbendazim, Carbofuran, Tolfenpyrad, Propiconazole) |
9 | 2022.10.22. ~2023.10.21. | Powder natural spice | China | Metallic foreign bodies |
10 | 2023.3.31. ~2024.3.30. | Tuna (fishery products to be eaten raw) | Japan (exporting country) | Salmonella |
11 | 2022.10.22. ~2023.10.21. | snack foods (limited to sealed products, except for fermented products or products containing lactic acid bacteria, produced by 4 manufacturers) | India | bacteria number |
12 | 2023.3.31. ~2024.3.30. | Other Salt | Pakistan | Insoluble powder |
13 | 2022.6.27. ~2023.6.26. | Frozen confectioneries (limited to 3 manufacturers) | Thailand | Coliform |
14 | 2022.6.27. ~2023.6.26. | Processed edible insect products using the chrysalis of edible silkworm as the raw materials (Bombyx mori L.) (limited to 4 manufacturers) | China | Acid value, peroxide value, colon bacillus |
15 | 2022.9.30. ~2023.9.29. | Health Functional Food using Probiotics as functional ingredients (limited to 5 manufacturers) | U.S., Denmark, Canada | Probiotics number |
| 16 | 2022.12.24～2023. 12. 23 | Wood ears (Fruiting body, dried) | China | Pesticides (Carbendazim, Thiamethoxam, Triadimenol, Triadimefon) |
| 17 | 2023. 3. 31.～2024. 3. 30. | Chilli peppers (fruits) | Vietnam | Pesticides (Diniconazole, Tolfenpyrad, Tricyclazole, Permetrin, Dimethoate, Isoprothiolane, Metominostrobin) |
*ChemLinked continuously updates this list following South Korea's official announcements.
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