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) , MFDS announcement (2022.10.7), MFDS announcement (2022.11.3), MFDS announcement (2022.12.5), MFDS announcement (2022.12.12), MFDS announcement (2023.2.9), MFDS announcement (2023.3.3), MFDS announcement (2023.3.14), MFDS announcement(2023.4.7) , MFDS announcement (2023.6.20), MFDS announcement (2023.6.28), MFDS announcement (2023.8.30), MFDS announcement (2023.9.20), MFDS Announcement, MFDS Announcement, MFDS Announcement, and MFDS Announcement (2023. 12. 11), MFDS Announcement (2024.2.20) .
Updates: On March 13, 2024, MFDS specifies “processed vegetables” imported from China as a new product subject to import inspection order. Besides, the authority prolongs the inspection periods of three products, which are "Chilli peppers (fruits)" from Vietnam, "Other Salt" from Pakistan, and "Tuna (fishery products to be eaten raw)" from Japan. The details are marked in red. |
No. | Period | Imported Foods | Exporting Country | Inspection Items |
1 | 2024.3.1. ~2025.2.28. | Natural spice (powder products) | India | Metallic foreign bodies |
2 | 2018.6.25. ~2023.6.24. | flavored oil (limited to 1 manufacturers) | China | Benzene |
3 | 2023.10.22. ~2024.10.21. | 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) |
4 | 2013.12.24. ~2024.12.23. | Products containing more than 50% of Noni in powder form (limited to 3 manufacturers) | Vietnam, Indonesia | Metallic foreign bodies |
5 | 2019.4.23. ~2024.4.22. | Sarcodon aspratus mushroom | Russia, Ukraine | Radioactivity (Iodine, Cesium) |
6 | 2020.4.23. ~2024.4.22. | Goji berry | China | Pesticides (Acetamiprid, Chlorobenzuron, Triflumuron, Chlorpyrifos, Prochloraz, Bifenthrin, Fludioxonil) |
7 | 2023.6.25. ~2024.6.24. | Basil (leaf) | Thailand | Pesticides (Propiconazole, Dimetomorph) |
8 | 2023.10.22. ~2024.10.21. | Powder natural spice | China | Metallic foreign bodies |
9 | 2024.3.31. ~2025.3.30. | Tuna (fishery products to be eaten raw) | Japan (exporting country) | Salmonella |
10 | 2023.10.22. ~2024.10.21. | Snack foods (limited to sealed products, except for fermented products or products containing lactic acid bacteria, produced by 5 manufacturers) | India | bacteria number |
11 | 2024.3.31. ~2025.3.30. | Other Salt | Pakistan | Insoluble powder |
12 | 2023.6.27. ~2024.6.26. | Frozen confectioneries (limited to 4 manufacturers) | Thailand | Coliform, bacterial count |
13 | 2023.9.30. ~2024.9.29. | Health Functional Food using Probiotics as functional ingredients (limited to 8 manufacturers) | U.S. (5 manufacturers), Canada (3 manufacturers) | Probiotics number |
14 | 2023.12.24 ~ 2025.12. 23. | Wood ears (Fruiting body, dried) | China | Pesticides (Carbendazim, Thiamethoxam, Triadimenol, Triadimefon) |
15 | 2024.3.31. ~ 2025.3.30. | Chilli peppers (fruits) | Vietnam | Pesticides (Diniconazole, Tolfenpyrad, Tricyclazole, Permetrin, Dimethoate, Isoprothiolane, Metominostrobin) |
16 | 2023.6.30. ~ 2024.6.29. | Solid tea | China | Pesticides (Pyridaben, Pyraclostrobin, Dinotefuran, Lufenuron, Hexaflumuron, Othophenylphenol) |
17 | 2023.9.27. ~ 2024.9.26. | Snack foods (limited to foods processed with oil treatement, produced by 4 manufacturers) | Indonesia | Acid value |
| 18 | 2023.12.22. ~ 2024.12.21 | Rubber product (rubber pacifier and rubber juice strainer 고무젖꼭지, 과즙망) | China, Vietnam (4 manufacturers) | Total volatility |
| 19 | 2024.3.29.～2025.3.28. | Processed vegetables | China (4 manufacturers) | Coliform |
*ChemLinked continuously updates this list following South Korea's official announcements.
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