South Korea Revises Food Code

The “Foods for Special Medical Purpose” is subdivided into three categories. The viscosity of "Food for the Elderly" is specified. The Maximum Residue Limits of 59 pesticides in agricultural products are modified.

On November 26, 2020, MFDS disclosed the latest version of Food Code ^[1]. To meet the consumption demands of special crowds, S. Korean authority amended the requirements of “Foods for Special Medical Purpose” and “Foods for Elderly”. The main contents are specified as below:

1. Foods for Special Medical Purpose

The “Foods for Special Medical Purpose (FSMP)” refer to foods for people with chronic diseases or the postoperative in special nutritional needs. The FSMP is subdivided into three sorts: “Standard Nutritious Supplement,” “Custom Nutritious Supplement” and “Diet Management Food with Menu (Menu Food)”:

	Standard Nutritious Supplement	Custom Nutritious Supplement	Diet Management Food with Menu (Menu Food)
Food Form	In forms of liquid, paste, or powder which is easy to drink or solve in water.		In form of “HMR (Home Meal Replacement)” Ex) Boxed meal, meal kit, ... (Find more about HMR at ChemLinked News ^[2])
Food Type	(1) Food for general patients to keep a balanced nutrition (2) Food for diabetics to keep a balanced nutrition (3) Food for kidney patients to keep a balanced nutrition (4) Food for intestinal disease patients to keep a balanced nutrition (5) Food to supply calories and nutrition (6) Food for patients with dysphagia	(1) Food for congenital metabolic disorders patients (2) Food for infants and children (3) Food for other patients	(1) Menu food for diabetics (2) Menu food for kidney patients
Example

ChemLinked Note

During the above categories, “Menu Food” is in the spotlight, expanding FSMP’s scope. FSMP is now more than a canned drink acting as an extra supplement. The innovative “Menu Food” with a meal kit allows patients to get the necessary nutrients from daily diets. Furthermore, “Menu Food” will be more acceptable and operable for the consumers amid the COVID-19 era.

Though “Menu Food” is only subject to two diseases at present, various kinds of food are expected to be brought out, benefiting more people in need of particular diet therapy.

The detailed nutrient standards, manufacture standards and specifications are published in Korean. Contact us at contact@chemlinked.com for translation services. We also offer translation services on standards and specifications of other food categories under Food Code ^[3].

2. Foods for Elderly

Following the newly released Food Code, “Food for Elderly” is managed as a special food. The viscosity of food for the elderly is stipulated as over 1500 mPa·s.

3. Other Amendments

The MRLs (Maximum Residue Limits) of 59 pesticides in agricultural products are modified:

No	Previous	Present
1	Iminoctadine in sweet potato vines: 0.5 mg/kg in raspberry: 1.0 mg/kg in asparagus: 0.5 mg/kg	Iminoctadine in sweet potato vines: 0.05 mg/kg in raspberry: 0.7 mg/kg in asparagus: 0.2 mg/kg
2	Dimethoate in apple: 1.0 mg/kg	Dimethoate in apple: 0.5 mg/kg
3	Dichlorvos	Dichlorvos
	in radish (leaf): 1.0 mg/kg in citron: 0.2 mg/kg	in radish (leaf): 0.05 mg/kg in citron: 0.05 mg/kg
…	…	…
59	Fluxametamide in raspberry: 0.5 mg/kg	Fluxametamide in raspberry: 0.2 mg/kg

The rate of unqualified pesticide residues in imported food was at a low rate of 0.9% last year ^[4]. However, by decreasing the MRLs, ChemLinked suggests agricultural product exporters pay more attention to the remained pesticide contents and comply with the new requirements.