Korea’s National Regulatory Information Center published the Amendments to Detailed Rules for Health Functional Food on March 18, 2014, which stipulates that traceability of health functional food would become obligatory. It will be formally implemented from December 1, 2014.
According to the Amendments to Detailed Rules for Health Functional Food, enterprises will be required to register for traceability of health functional foods with annual sales volume of KRW 5 billion and above. Punitive measures for noncompliance have also been detailed. Manufacturers and importers failing to fulfill their obligations will be given a warning and ordered to comply for first offences. Second offences will be punished by an embargo on all commercial or production activities for 7 days, and 15 days for the third or consecutive occasions.
Relevant manufacturers and importers should complete registration before December 1, 2014 for the categories of products with the annual sales volume above KRW 5 billion in 2013. For products with annual sales volumes exceeding KRW 5 billion in 2014, they should finish the registration before December 1st of the following year.
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