On 21 May 2026, South Korea's National Institute of Chemical Safety (NICS) published Notification No. 2026-9, proposing partial amendments to the Hazard Assessment Results of Chemical Substances. Key Revisions 1. Establishment of 79 New Chemical Substance Entries NICS established 79 new chemical substance entries under unique numbers 2026-1 to 2026-79 following the completion of hazard assessments. These substances include: New chemical substances registered between August an

Japan's Consumers Affairs Agency (CAA) has launched on 11 June 2026 a public consultation on the draft partial amendment of Specifications and Standards for Foods, Food additives etc. (Act No. 370 of 1959) to revise the maximum residue limits (MRL) of Quinoclamin, Chlorpyrifos, Spirodiclofen, Spiropidion and Propamocarb. In accordance with Article 13, Paragraph 3 of the Food Sanitation Act (Act No. 233 of 1947), food containing residual amounts of agricultural chemicals, etc

Background In Japan, cosmetics are primarily governed by the Act on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products Including Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices（Act No. 145 of 1960) (also known as the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act (PMDA), formerly known as the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (PAA) or the 薬事法 (Yakujihō). In accordance with the Article 61 of PMDA, cosmetics must have the following information labelled on their immediate container or immediate packagin

The partial amendment to the Korean Food Code (No. 2026-40), published by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) on 19 May 2026, represents a significant regulatory development for Korea’s novel food and edible insect industry. Through this amendment, migratory locust (Locusta migratoria), locally referred to as “풀무치 (Pulmuchi),” was officially reclassified from a temporarily recognised food ingredient to a general food ingredient officially listed in the Korean F

Background Following amendments to the Enforcement Order of the Industrial Safety and Health Act (ISHA), effective 1 April 2023, employers are required to take measures to minimize workers' exposure to hazardous chemical substances that are subject to risk assessment obligations. To reduce occupational exposure risks, employers must implement control measures in accordance with the hierarchy of controls, prioritizing the following approaches: Substitution of hazardous substan

Background At the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (SC COP-12), held from 28 April to 9 May 2025, Parties adopted amendments to Annex A of the Convention to list three additional persistent organic pollutants (POPs): the pesticide chlorpyrifos and two groups of industrial chemicals, namely long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC-PFCAs) and related substances, and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (