South Korea Updates Food Additive Code

The scape of natural additives is expanded. The usage standards of four additives are modified. The requirements of utensils sterilizing agents are specified. Test methods of eight additives are revised.

MFDS disclosed the latest version of Food Additive Code ¹on March 9, 2021. It mainly modifies the application scope of natural additives, the usage standards of four additives, the standard of sterilizing agents, and test methods.

Main Modifications

1. Newly Approved Natural Additive

South Korea designates the benzoic acid of tiny amounts (less than 0.02g/kg) as a nature-derived additive.

2. Usage standards of Four Additives

Additives	Modifications
Ethyl Acetate	Newly approved for extracting the oil and fat in the process of manufacturing edible oil and fat (Residual Limit: less than 0.01g/kg)
Ethyl Acetate	Newly approved for removing caffeine from tea and coffee (Residual Limit: less than 0.01g/kg)
Isopropyl Alcohol	Newly approved for extracting the oil and fat in the process of manufacturing edible oil and fat (Residual Limit: less than 0.01g/kg)
Nisin	Newly approved to be added in the processed bean products as the preservative. 0.025 g/kg (Residual Limit: less than 0.025g/kg)
Sorbic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Calcium Sorbate	Newly approved to be added in the vegetable cream as the preservative (Residual Limit: less than 1.0g/kg)

3. Sterilizing Agents

To prevent the overuse or misuse of sterilizing agents, South Korea establishes the standards of using sterilizing agents on utensils.

The food entity should either soak or spray the sterilizing agents on the surface of the utensils directly. Spraying the sterilizing agents to the air of the work area is prohibited. In addition, the sterilizing cannot be used along with other detergents or be inhaled.

4. Test Methods

The test methods of eight additives are revised, including Disodium 5'-Ribonucleotide, Sodium Molybdate, Disodium 5’-inosinate, Calcium Phosphate Tribasic, Oleoresin Paprika, Ferrous Fumarate, Spice Oleoresins, and Yeast.