Korea | Partial Revision of Food Code (No. 2018-98)

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Korea (MFDS) announced partial revisions for the "Specifications and Standards of Food" (hereafter referred to as the "Food Code") under notification no. 2018-98 on Nov 29, 2018, yesterday.

Main Revisions

With the increased consumption of household convenience foods, the MFDS has newly established the safety management standards of lunch boxes which is a representative convenience food to ensure that safe food is supplied to the people.

New standards and specifications that can be applied commonly to food for infants and toddlers has been newly established. The MFDS intends to supply safe and diverse infant and toddler foods to the public through strengthening the sanitation management for infant and toddler foods and rational improvement of quality standards by improving the categorization of processed cereals and other baby food used as weaning food.

The definition of elderly-friendly foods has been newly established and the foundation to enable a variety of elderly-friendly foods to be manufactured and distributed has been established. A list of negative substances and analytical methods has been established for erectile dysfunction treatment and obesity treatment like substances so that safe food can be distributed.

The MFDS intends to prevent confusion in interpretation pertaining to the application of standards by clarifying the applicable clause of the food poisoning bacteria common standards. The total heavy metal standards which is less effective in managing standards and specifications shall be deleted and the arsenic standards of krill oil will be revised by the inorganic arsenic standards to alleviate the management burden of manufacturers and contribute to the invigoration of the food industry.

New maximum residue limits (MRLs) will be established for pesticides used in Korea to provide safe food for its citizens.

Part of the food raw materials list shall be clarified. “East Asian stripe maple” which could only be used in food preparations when it has been approved by request through the “Temporary standards and specifications of food etc.” has been registered as a food raw material in the Korean Food Code so that anyone can use it as a raw material in food to improve the convenience of use of raw materials and contribute to the invigoration of the food industry.

The reliability of analytical methods shall be secured through the revision of the inorganic arsenic and methyl mercury analytical method in food.

Main contents of Revision

Establishment of Manufacturing and Processing standards for lunch boxes [Article2. 2. 25) ~ 27)]

1) There is a need to establish new manufacturing and processing standards so that lunch boxes can be manufactured hygienically.

2) Establishment of new standards for the cleansing of vegetables used for lunch boxes and the thawing of frozen aquatic products and so on.

3) Strengthening of hygiene standards of lunch boxes to provide a safe food supply base for the public.

Establishment And Amendment Of Standards And Specifications of Foods For Infants And Young Children [Article. 1. 2. 3), Article 2. 3. 4) (1)가, the previous Article 2. 3. 4) (2) 마, Article2. 3. 5) (2) ④, Article2. 3. 5) (3) ①, Article2. 3. 5) (3) ②, Article2. 3. 5) (3) ③, Article2. 3. 5) (3) ⑤, Article2. 3. 5) (3) ⑥, Article2. 3. 5) (3) ⑦, Article2. 3. 5) (6) ⑧, Article2. 3. 5) (8), Article2. 3. 5) (10), Article2. 3. 11), Article3, Article5. 10, Article5. 10. 10-4 1), Article5. 10. 10-4 3) (2), Article5. 10. 10-4 6) (2), Article5. 10. 10-5 4) (3) and (4), Article8. 6. 6.5 6.5.2]

1) Besides special-purpose foods, there is an increasing demand for various infant food and food for young children, and hence it is necessary to establish standards and specifications to reflect them.

2) Establishment of standards and specifications that can be commonly applicable to foods for infants and young children

3) In order to clarify the meaning of other infant food and food for young children, the type name of other infant food and food for young children shall be changed to “weaning food for infants and young children” and cereal preparations that are used as weaning food shall be integrated with “weaning food for infants and young children”.

4) Provision of a wide variety and safe food to the people through the management of the standard and specifications according to the characteristics of each target group

Definition Of Elderly Friendly Foods [Article 1. 3. 65)]

1) There is a need to develop the concept of elderly-friendly foods needs so that food suitable for the elderly can be manufactured and distributed in accordance with the aging society.

2) Establishment of definition of elderly-friendly foods

3) Distribution of a variety of elderly-friendly foods to invigorate the food industry and protecting consumer’s choice.

Amendment of food poisoning bacteria in the general standards and specification of food [Article. 2. 3. 4) (2)가 and 나)

1) Clarification of the applicable clause wordings of the food poisoning bacteria standard and simplify it in the form of a table

2) Prevention of onsite interpretation confusion by clarification of the applicable phrase of food poisoning bacteria standard

Amendment of Standards for Total Heavy Metals of Crude Oil in Fish Oil [Article 2. 3. 5) (2) ④]

1) The heavy metal standards need to be revised to reflect the compositional characteristics of heavy metals in krill oil.

2) Amendment of arsenic standards of krill oil to come under inorganic arsenic standards.

3) In accordance with the possibility to import, manufacture and distribute krill oil that conforms with the heavy metal standards, the food industry will be invigorated and the MFDS will protect the nation’s health by managing the inorganic arsenic which is highly hazardous.

Establishment of New Regulations for 2 Negative Substances [Article 2.. 3. 10), Article 8. 9.12, Article. 9.13]

1) Newly identified structure for erectile dysfunction treatment and obesity treatment like substance need to be added to the list of negative substances so they can be managed constantly as substances that should be undetectable in food preparations.

2) Addition of Dithiopropylcarbodenafil, an erectile dysfunction drug like substance, and Chlorosipentramine, an obesity drug like substances, to the list of negative substances and their relevant analytical methods.

3) Establishment of a basis for providing safe food to the public through constant management of substances which safety cannot be confirmed as a food preparation.

Maintenance Of The List Of Food Ingredients [Table 1, Table 2, Table 3]

1) There is a need to re-align those food ingredients whose name, alternative name, scientific name, parts usable and conditions of use are not clear, or repeated and raises concerns of their safety for use in food preparations.

2) Clarification of food raw materials names (4 items), alternative names (5 items), scientific names (9 items), conditions for use (1 item) and integration of ingredients that are repeated (2items)

3) Recording of “East Asian stripe maple” which could only be used in food preparations when it has been approved by request through the “Temporary standards and specifications of food etc.” as a food raw material in the Korean Food Code.

4) Prevention confusion with the use of food ingredients; contribute to the invigoration of the food industry by expanding the use of food ingredients, and provide safe food to the public.

Establishment of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) in Agricultural Products [Table 4]

(1) Iminoctadine, (21) Dichlorvos, (31) Myclobutanil, (55) Buprofezin, (111) Carbaryl, (112) Carbendazim, (116) Cartap, (133) Tebuconazole, (142) Triadimefon, (162) Fenitrothion, (170) Penthoate, (171) Fenpropathrin, (192) Propiconazole, (201) Hexythiazox, (224) Cymoxanil, (230) Kresoxim-methyl, (231) Chlorfluazuron, (232) Tricyclazole, (233) Pencycuron, (234) Fenpyroximate, (236) Pyriproxyfen, (237) Pymetrozine, (239) Fluazinam, (249) Emamectin benzoate, (251) Etoxazole, (255) Famoxadone, (273) Milbemectin, (286) Etridiazole, (321) Dinotefuran, (323) Boscalid, (324) Bifenazate, (326) Acequinocyl, (338) Thiacloprid, (345) Pyraclostrobin, (370) Benthiavalicarb-isopropyl, (373) Spiromesifen, (395) Fluopicolide, (405) Cyenopyrafen, (422) Penthiopyrad, (424) Pyrifluquinazon, (431) Isopyrazam, (433) Cyantraniliprole, (436) Flutianil, (437) Fluxapyroxad, (438) Pyriofenone, (441) Pyribencarb, (450) Valifenalate

1) There is a need to establish new and revise existing standards according to the safety management of pesticides newly registered in the "Pesticide Control Act" and new applications of MRL for agricultural chemicals used in imported agricultural products.

2) Establishment and amendment of 44 MRLs for pesticides such as Iminoctadine.

3) The MRLs of agricultural chemicals in agricultural products shall be reasonably revised to provide safe food products to the citizens of Korea.

Amendment Of General Analytical Methods [Article 8. 3. 3.2 3.2.1 가. 3)나) (1) And (2), Article 8. 9. 9.1 9.1.5 마, Article 8. 9. 9.1 9.1.9]

1) Establishment and amendment of relevant analytical methods in accordance with revised standards and specifications are necessary.

2) Amendments to the inorganic arsenic analytical method to make it applicable to fish oil.

3) Addition of analytical method of methyl mercury in food.

4) Deletion of heavy metal test method in food.

5) Replacement of Benzene, a carcinogen, with Hexane for use in analytical methods for the safety of the experimenter.

6) Provision of safe food to the public by improving the reliability of test results.

Reflection of Revised Standards and Specifications of Food Additives and Correction of Errors in Analytical Methods et. [Article 4. 3. 2), Article 5. 9. 9-4 5) (7), Article 5. 9. 9-7 5) (7), Article 5. 10. 10-6 6) (2), Article 5. 10. 10-8 6) (2), Article 5. 14. 14-3 6) (2), Article 8. 4. 4.11 a. 1), Article 8. 4. 4.19 a. 1), Article 8. 4. 4.19 or 8. 4. 4.24 c. 1), Article 8. 6.9 6.9.4 6.9.4.1 가. 3), Article 8. 6. 6.11 6.11.1 6.11.1.1 가, Article 8. 9. 9.3 9.3.2]

1) Clarification of applicable target food of standards and specifications of frozen foods in long-term preserved foods

2) Reflection of revised standards and specifications of food additives such as sorbic acid for beverages.

3) Correction of acid pH coefficient for sodium hydroxide in the total acid test of rice wine.

4) Correct the medium number in the microorganism test method.

5) Addition of preparation method of the test solution used in the microdiffusion analysis of the volatile basic nitrogen analytical method.

6) Addition of Loss On Drying analysis in moisture analysis of agar.

7) Correction of toxic equivalence coefficient in the dioxin test.

8) Improvement of accuracy and reliability of the analytical results by clarifying the applicable target food standards and specifications, and correcting the erroneous analytical items.

Related articles:

Food Code (No. 2018-98)