Notifications for Republic of Korea (388 notifications)

The Republic of Korea is proposing to amend the "Standards and Specifications for the Food Additives": 1) The provision which is about application of pesticides MRL (Maximum Residue Limits) for food additives is newly established; 2) The specifications of the following four food additives are revised: Magnesium Silicate, Caffeine, Baking Powder, Mixed preparations; 3) The standards for the use of the following nine food additives are revised: Sodium Metabisulfite, Potassium Metabisulfite, Sulfur Dioxide, Sodium Bisulfite, Sodium Hydroxide Solution, L-Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sodium Sulfite, Sodium Hydrosulfite, Propylene Glycol.

The Republic of Korea is proposing to amend the "Enforcement Rule of the Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control". The amendment includes the following: - The information of imported food, etc. that the result of inspection is appropriate is available on the website of MFDS;- The documents required for a declarer of imported food, etc. to ensure the safety of products in the process of customs clearance are simplified and the legal basis is clarified;- The facility standard for the business of online purchasing of imported food, etc. by proxy is mitigated so that it can conduct business without independent office.

This regulation has been proposed: - The article of the health certificate, which is attached to the livestock products exporting to the Korean market, noted that "compliance with the standards and specifications of the Republic of Korea" has been deleted. However, such article will continue to be effective as an import sanitary requirement; - The list of countries and products allowed to be imported to Korea is updated. (e.g., processed milk from the Czech Republic and Austria etc.).

The proposed amendment seeks to: 1. Establish standards and specifications of foods for infants/young children, revise the name of food type "Other Foods for Infants/Young Children" and integrate "Cereal formulas for Infants/Young Children" into "Weaning foods for infants/Young Children"; 2. Establish the concept and definition of "Senior-Friendly Foods"; 3. Clarify and simply the standards and specifications of foodborne pathogens; 4. Revise the standard of heavy metal (Arsenic) in Krill oil; 5. Revise the standards of total heavy metals in foods; 6. Add two newly identified substances in the list of illegal compounds and establish their test methods - Dithiopropylcarbodenafil, Chlorosipentramine; 7. Modify and clarify some ingredients in [Annex 1],  [Annex 2] and [Annex 3]; 8. Modify General Test Methods according to the revisions in standards and specifications; 9. Modify to reflect the revisions in Standards and Specifications of Food Additives and correct the errors in test methods, etc.

The proposed amendment seeks to: 1. Establish manufacturing/processing standards and specifications for hygiene indicator bacteria in "Senior-Friendly Foods". 2. Revise [Annex 1] "Ingredients Approved for Use in Food" and [Annex 2] "Ingredients Approved for Limited Use in Food" Lists: - Delete Japanese Hawthorn (Crataegus cuneata Siebold & Zucc.) and Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Thunb.) from [Annex 1]; - Move seeds of Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhannoides L.) from [Annex 1] to [Annex 2] and specify its use condition. 3. Revise the maximum residue limits for pesticides in agricultural products: - Eight pesticides including Dichlobenil.

The APQA/MAFRA of the Republic of Korea will make a partial amendment to Article 2 (Definitions of terms) of "Range and Standards of Sterilization and Processing of Designated Quarantine Goods". Major changes are as below. 1. "Products not subject to quarantine" in Paragraph 5 will be amended to "Products subject to confirmation by quarantine officers". 2. If the products are confirmed as not designated quarantine goods by the actual inspection, submission of the documents needed for confirmation may not be required.

The proposed amendments mainly focus on the following:Certified business operators shall take training on environmentally-friendly agriculture in a mandatory manner (Articles 10 and 16(1), Asterisks 3 and 11 of the Draft).(1)  Those wishing to apply for or renew their certifications should take training related to the environmentally-friendly agriculture every two years in a mandatory manner.Labelling requirement for organic food, etc. and pesticide-free agricultural produce, etc. shall be improved (Article 18(2) and Asterisks 5, 6 and 12 of the Draft).(1)  To exclude "the name of the certified agency" from the labelling requirement for organic food, etc. and pesticide-free agricultural produce, etc. in order to minimize any inconvenience that certified business may face due to the change of the agency.Having in place additional ways to apply for designation of the notifying agency (Article 60(1) of the Draft).(1)  Inconvenience that stakeholders may face due to the cancellation of designation of notifying agencies shall be minimized, by newly introducing proviso enabling flexible application for designation, in case of emergency where the designation of the agencies is cancelled, etc.More information shall be provided from the Environmentally-Friendly Certification Management Information System (Article 70(1) of the Draft).(1)  To extend the scope of information on certified business operators and/or certified business operators which received administrative dispositions, to be provided by the Environmentally-Friendly Certification Management Information System, in order to fulfil customers' right to know.Certification requirements including on sanitation and safety management shall be completed (Asterisks 3 and 11 of the Draft).(1)  To complete quality management regulations of the products, by devising regulations on sanitation measures for operators at the harvest and/or post-harvest; on safety management of tools and equipment; and on the prevention of environmental pollution around nearby farms, so that certified environmentally-friendly agricultural and livestock products that people can trust can be distributed.(2)  To complete the regulation on prohibiting the use of materials with pesticide components in organic and pesticide-free livestock products.Period of keeping the records on the documents on manufacturing, processing, and people who handle the products (Asterisk 4 of the Draft).(1)     To extend the period of keeping the records on the documents on manufacturing and/or processing, and the ones related to the management of people who handle the products from the current three months to one year, to comply with the certificate validity period.Disciplinary measures for certified business operators that made violations shall be stricter (Asterisk 8 of the Draft).(1)  Individuals shall be classified into a certified operator and a certified product, in order to prevent the confusion in implementing disciplinary measures.(2)  The criteria for punishment should be in place, in order to cancel the certification of a certified business operator if pesticide (including materials with pesticide components) is used in livestock farms or pesticide is detected in livestock products.(3)  Regulations shall be in place to order corrective measures at the first time of violation where organosynthetic agricultural chemicals or drugs for animal use are detected in livestock products, organic processed food, etc. due to Force Majeure, under the Standards for Handling Agricultural Produce.Requirements for Certification Authority shall be improved (Asterisk 9-2 of the Draft).(1)  If a certification authority is approved only because it has past experience of reviewing certifications, the regulation of such certification shall be eliminated. A person with veterinary license shall be added to the list of qualified certification authority, in order to enhance expertise of livestock certification.Administrative dispositions of certified agencies shall be stricter (Asterisk 10 of the Draft).(1)  If a certified agency rated as "moderate" and above succeeds the position of another certified agency, the number of violations the predecessor already made shall not be succeeded.(2)  Punishment criteria for detailed items of designation shall be in place so that disciplinary measures can be applied according to the severity of a violation, when standard or criteria have been violated.To expand inspection on harmful components in notified organic agricultural materials (Asterisks 13 and 14 of the Draft).(1)       To lay the foundation for the production of environmentally-friendly certified products that people can trust, by adding organosynthetic agricultural chemicals to the inspection list of harmful components in notified organic agricultural materials.

The proposed amendment seeks to: 1. Establish and revise MRLs of 54 pesticides (including Tetraniliprole and Glufosinate). 2. Revise MRLs of 11 veterinary drugs (including Aminopyrine). 3. Establish General Test Methods for newly established pesticide (Tetraniliprole).

The proposed amendments seek to: 1. Simplify and Clarify the dossier for the accreditation of functional ingredients: - Required to submit only the major manufacturing procedure (extraction, filteration, concentration, etc.); - Required to submit Intake assessment data and Toxicological data; 2. Improve the evaluation system for accreditation of functional ingredients: - Submitted dossier will be withdrawn if it is found false or fraudulent and if necessary, a Clinical trial report and final document will be demanded.

The proposed amendment seeks to: 1. Establish Manufacturing and Processing Standards for lunch boxes. Specific requirements for disinfection of fruits and vegetables, cooling process before packaging and thawing of frozen fishery products. 2. Add six aquatic species in the "Ingredients Approved for Use in Food" list.  Northern propeller clam (Cyrtodaria siliqua), Goldstripe sardinella (Sardinella gibbosa), Patagonian scallop (Zygochlamys patagonia), Patagonian squid (Loligo gahi), Peruvian calico scallop (Argopecten purpuratus) and Scarlet shrimp (Aristaeopsis ewardsiana/Plesiopenaeus edwardsianus).

Republic of Korea is proposing to amend the "Standards and Specifications for the Food Additives".1. The provisions which are about allowing naturally occurred food additives are newly established; 2. The standards and specifications of the following food additive are newly established: Peroxyacetic acid; 3. The specifications of the following food additive are revised: Koji; 4.The standards for the use in milk formulas etc. of the following 14 food additives are revised: Guar gum, Glycerin esters of fatty acids, Lecithin, Locust bean gum, Vanillin, Food starch modified, Arabic gum Calcium L-ascorbate, L-Ascorbyl palmitate, Ethyl vanillin, Lactic acid, Carrageenan, d-Tocopherol concentrate (mixed), Pectin.

Importation of the host plants of Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (Ca. L. solanacearum), one of the prohibited quarantine pests of the Republic of Korea, is prohibited from relevant countries in addition to already prohibited areas. The detailed requirements for relevant seeds for sowing refer to "G/SPS/N/KOR/591 and Addenda". The list of plants that are not authorized for importation into Korea is attached.

As the original notification G/SPS/N/KOR/591 was a "Regular" notification the title of the notification addendum should read as follows:NOTIFICATIONAddendum

The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA), Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) in the Republic of Korea, has added host plants and prohibited areas of Zebra chip disease "Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (Ca. L. solanacearum)", one of the prohibited quarantine pests of the Republic of Korea, which is based on the result of Pest Risk Analysis (PRA). The import condition for the following seeds associated with Ca. L. solanacearum is mandatory Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing from the 12 exporting countries for export to the Republic of Korea. The PCR test should be done by the NPPO or public testing agencies approved by the NPPO in accordance with ISPM 27 (DP 21) or Munyaneza et. al (2012) with phytosanitary certificate, shipped on and after 14 June 2018.Products covered:  carrot (Dacus carota) seeds, celery/celeriac (Apium graveolens) seeds and parsley seeds (Petroselinum crispum) for sowing Countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  - North America: United States of America - Europe: Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Israel, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden - Africa: Morocco - Asia: China

The proposed amendment seeks to: 1. Establish and revise MRLs of 75 pesticides (including Deltamethrin) for import tolerance. 2. Expand the application scope of Bifenthrin and Diazinon to poultry and eggs. 3. Establish and revise MRLs of newly approved veterinary drugs (Fluralaner, Ceftiofur). 4. Establish General Test Methods for Bicyclopyrone and Fluralaner. 5. Revise the Addendum of Standards and Specifications for Foods (MFDS Notice) No. 2017-102.

The Republic of Korea is proposing to amend the "Standards and Specifications for the Food Additives". 1) The standards and specifications of the following food additives are newly established: β-Amylase, Potassium Aluminium Silicate-Based Pearlescent Pigments, Potassium Caseinate 2) The specifications of the following 6 food additives are revised: Lactase, Beeswax, D-Sorbitol, Carotene, L-Histidine, Hyaluronic Acid 3) The flavouring determination in General test methods and the residue test method of hydrogen peroxide preparations are revised.

The Republic of Korea is proposing to amend the "Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control". It is to prepare the basis to enable to take measures of import suspension against foreign food facilities disturb or avoid the on-site inspections.

The proposed amendments mainly focus on the following: A. Revision of the terms, "environment-friendly agriculture and fisheries" and "organic" (Article 2 (Draft)) - Revise the definitions of the terms, "environment-friendly agriculture and fisheries" and "organic", focusing on agricultural environmental conservation, including the promotion of biodiversity and maintenance of healthy ecosystems, the objectives of environment-friendly agriculture and fisheries.  B. Addition of qualifications for the application for certification of organic food, etc. (Article 20 (Draft)) - A person whose products exceed the maximum residue limits of pesticides, by intention or gross negligence, and a person subject to a disposition of revocation three times shall be prohibited from applying for certification. C. Addition of the suspension of qualification as certification auditors (Article 26-2 (Draft)) -   If an auditor fails to comply with procedures and methods of certification or re-audit by intention or gross negligence. -  If an auditor delegates his/her certification service to the executive officer of a certification body, etc. D. Addition of grounds for disqualification of executive officers of certification bodies and specification of fine criteria (Article 26-3 (Draft))  - Executive officers of certification bodies who conducted certification duty, etc. on behalf of certification auditor or anyone who is responsible for certification duty - The grounds for disqualification are revised to specify a fine of 1 million won or more to exclude a small fine. E.     Addition of the requirement for cancelling the designation of certification agencies (Article 29 (Draft)) - Revocation of the designation of a certified agency which received "poor" result for the three consecutive times following the evaluation on certification agencies. F.    The introduction of re-inspection for products confirmed to be inappropriate and organic agricultural materials (Articles 31 and 49 (Draft)) - Establishment of grounds and standards where re-inspection can be conducted, when products are inspected to be inappropriate G.    Ground for allowing only environment-friendly certified agricultural and fishery products and processed products to use a label using words, such as "environment friendly" (Article 54-2 (Draft)) - Only environment-friendly certified agricultural and fishery products and processed products are allowed to use words including "environment friendly" to build trust while preventing confusion and harm to the public in the use of environment-friendly agricultural products.   H.     Penalty surcharge on person who repeatedly revokes certification; fine or penalty on person who publishes certification information without the consent of concerned party; and fine for negligence on person who failed to keep analysis information will be imposed (Articles 60, 62.2, and 62 (Draft)) - Fine or penalty will be imposed if personal information related to certification, etc. is leaked by a certification auditor, without the consent of the concerned party (Article 60 (Draft))  - Fine not exceeding five times of selling price will be imposed, if certification is revoked more than twice within three years (Article 60.2 (Draft)) - Fine for negligence will be imposed on failure to keep test analysis information and on false report of certification result (Article 62 (Draft))

Republic of Korea is proposing to amend the "Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control". It is to clearly legalize the relevant system with regard to G/SPS/N/KOR/320 (23 March 2009) and G/SPS/N/KOR/320/Add.1 (15 July 2013) previously notified to WTO. It is intended to conduct the import sanitary assessment and have registered the foreign facilities by the governments of exporting countries when importing the products that are not under control for human consumption in the exporting countries.

The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA), Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) in the Republic of Korea, has amended the quarantine pest list which is based on the result of a Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) and in accordance with the provisions of Articles 4 and 6 of the Ministerial Ordinance of the Plant Protection Act. The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency notifies to add 22 quarantine pest species as follows: No. Scientific name Group Category 1 Anastrepha grandis Diptera Prohibited Pest 2 Curvularia oryzae Fungi Controlled Pest 3 Fusarium euwallacea Fungi Controlled Pest 4 Phytophthora austrocedrae Fungi Controlled Pest 5 Phytophthora foliorum Fungi Controlled Pest 6 Passiflora latent virus Viruses Controlled Pest 7 Turnip yellow mosaic virus Viruses Controlled Pest 8 Ceroplastes pseudoceriferus Hemiptera Controlled Pest 9 Dilobopterus costalimai Hemiptera Controlled Pest 10 Draeculacephala minerva Hemiptera Controlled Pest 11 Graphocephala atropunctata Hemiptera Controlled Pest 12 Myzocallis coryli Hemiptera Controlled Pest 13 Paracoccus solani Hemiptera Controlled Pest 14 Trialeurodes glacialis Hemiptera Controlled Pest 15 Liposcelis bostrychophila Psocoptera Controlled Pest 16 Ips duplicatus Coleoptera Controlled Pest 17 Emphytus cinctus Hymenoptera Controlled Pest 18 Bactrocera oleae Diptera Controlled Pest 19 Lasioptera hungarica Diptera Controlled Pest 20 Pratylenchus goodeyi Nematodes Controlled Pest 21 Pratylenchus hippeastri Nematodes Controlled Pest 22 Pratylenchus panamaensis Nematodes Controlled Pest