South Korea to Enhance the Imported Food Management

MFDS proposed to add an application document for Foreign Food Facility registration and request a mandatory sanitary certificate of livestock products. KAHAS was designated to manage the Foreign Food Facility on-site inspection.

After a video of a nude man manufacturing Kimchi in an overseas factory spreading over the Korean media early this year, the safety of imported food concerned Korean consumers. Underneath the media hype, though MFDS had clarified the Kimchi in the video is not for export, the Korean consumers' sharp reactions urged Korean authority to modify the imported food requirement.

MFDS released the draft of the Enforcement Rule of Imported Food Act ¹ on March 25, 2021, after discussing it several times with the industry experts. They proposed to amend supervisions on the Foreign Food Facility and livestock products. Suggestions can be sent to fineapril@korea.kr before May 4, 2021.

Main Proposals

1. Foreign Food Facility Safety Control

To ensure the overseas factories comply with the local food law, MFDS would additionally request the applicants to submit either of the following documents when applying for the Foreign Food Facility registration:

1. Documents attesting authorization, registration or declaration of a foreign food facility according to relevant laws and regulations of the exporting country.

2. A confirmation form of registered information of a foreign food facility.