Korea | Partial Revision of Food Code (No. 2020-24)

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. 2020-24 on Apr14, 2020.

Reasons for revision

X-rays allowed for use in excluded countries such as Codex shall be added to the food irradiation treatment types; the scope of application for frozen marine products that are temporarily thawed to remove foreign substances, sorting, cutting and subdivision for preservation and distribution standards to prevent confusion in the interpretation of regulation compliance shall be clarified; the Iodine standards for soybean oil containing high oleic acid which has a fatty acid composition different from that of regular soybean oil shall be established; 9 types of marine products and 1 type of vegetable raw materials for which edible basis has been confirmed shall be added to the list of ingredients that can be used in food; while contributing to the vitalization of the food industry by developing various products and expanding consumer choices, the cadmium standards for squid with high heavy metal exposure shall be strengthened; Large-leaf Labrador tea and Narrow-leaf Labrador tea which have raised concerns regarding their safety for consumption as a food product shall be deleted from list of ingredients that can be used in food; two erectile dysfunctional agents shall be added to the negative substances list; and the MFDS shall establish and amend the maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides and veterinary drugs used domestically and abroad through re-evaluation etc. to provide safe food to the public.

Main Revisions

1) Revision of food irradiation processing standards [Article 1 3. 43), Article 2. 3. 6) (1), Article 2. 3. 6) (2), Article 2. 3. 6) (4)]

a) Necessity to enable the use of internationally available food irradiation processes (X-rays), and clarify the use of X-rays for food irradiation so that it does not fall under the food inspection process.

b) Addition of X-rays to radiation types that can be used for food irradiation processing, and when X-rays are used for inspection purposes, they are excluded from the scope of food irradiation processing.

c) Establishment of X-ray irradiation processing standards for electron beam accelerators below 5 MeV (7.5 MeV when the X-ray conversion metal is tantalum or gold).

d) Revitalization of related industries and harmonization international standards of radiations types allowed for food irradiation by providing a variety of food irradiation processing technology selections.

2) Revision of the food ingredients classification table [Article 1. 4. 1)]

a) Necessity to add the names of agricultural products for which standards are newly established to the classification list of vegetable raw materials.

b) Establishment and revision of vegetable raw material classification items.

c) Manage the MRLs of pesticides more clearly by establishing and revising the items of vegetable raw materials.

3) Reinforcement of cadmium standards fir squid [Article 2. 3. 5) (2) ③]

a) Necessity to strengthen the heavy metal standards for foods with high heavy metal exposure as a result of the re-evaluation of heavy metal standards for food.

b) Strengthening of cadmium standards to reduce heavy metal exposure due to squid intake.

c) Supplying of safe food to the public by strengthening heavy metal standards for common consumer food products.

4) Revision of food definition subject to radioactivity standards [Articles 2. 3. 5) (10)]

a) Clarification of wordings is required as among the foods subject to radioactivity standards, other foods are designated as 'all foods, agricultural, livestock and marine products' and ‘agriculture, livestock, and marine products’ may be misunderstood as not applicable to ‘all foods’, so the phrase needs clarification.

b) Amendment of the definition of other foods among the foods subject to the radioactive nuclide 134Cs + 137Cs standards from 'All foods and agricultural, livestock and marine products' to 'All foods'.

c) Clarification of the scope of food when applying the radioactivity standards.

5) Establishment of 2 newly identified negative substances [Proposed Article 2. 3. 10) (1) ① and Article 8. 9. 9.12]

a) Necessity to add to the list of negative substances in the Food Code and specifications of food so that newly identified erectile dysfunction treatment-like substances can be managed as a substance that should not be detected in food at all times.

b) Addition of desulfonylchlorosildenafil and desmethylpiperazinylpropoxysildenafil which are similar substances for erectile dysfunction treatment to the list of negative substances and test methods.

c) Laying the foundation for providing safe food to the public through regular management of substances whose safety as food is not confirmed.

6) Revision of preservation and distribution standards [draft 2. 4. 20)]

a) Since temporary defrosting is only allowed for frozen marine products when removing non-edible parts such as innards, it is necessary to improve the system so that temporary defrosting is possible even during work such as foreign matter removal and simple subdivision.

b) Revision of preservation and distribution standards so that temporary defrosting is possible even in the case of simple processing such as removal of foreign matter, sorting or cutting of frozen marine products.

c) Revitalization of the industry through rational improvement of preservation and distribution standards reflecting the reality of the site.

7) Revision of iodine value of soybean oil [Proposed Article 5. 7. 7-1 4) (1) and Article 5. 7. 7-1 5) Soybean oil (2)]

a) Since soybean oil containing high oleic acid has a different fatty acid composition from ordinary soybean oil, a separate iodine standard is required.

b) Preparation of iodine standard considering the fatty acid composition of high oleic soybean oil.

c) Revitalization of the industry by rationally improving standards reflecting product characteristics.

8) Revision of List of ingredients that can be used in food [Table 1 and Table 2]

a) Necessity to register ingredients that have been identified as safe for consumption to the List of ingredients that can be used in food, and ingredients that have been identified to have health hazard concerns such as side effects when ingested must be removed from the list of ingredients that can be used in food.

b) Addition of Radicchio (Cichorium intybus), Southern bluetail (Amphioctopus membranaceus), Taiwanese Octopus (Cistopus taiwanicus), Round-topped Octopus (Octopus cyanea), Bigeye (Argyrosomus japonicus), High-necked Bluetail (Amphioctopus marlatlinus, Atlantic) (Makaira nigricans), Bigeye croaker (Micropogonias megalops), Unihorn octopus (Scaeurgus unicirrhus), and White mouth croaker (Micropogonias furnieri) 10 items to [Table 1] 1. Vegetable and 2. Animal raw materials of the “List of ingredients that can be used in food” of the Food code.

c) As a result of re-evaluation of raw materials, Large-leaf Labrador tea and Narrow-leaf Labrador tea which have raised concerns for their safety for consumption as a food product shall be deleted from list of ingredients that can be used in food.

d) Clarification of substance name, other name, scientific name, and usable parts in the list of ingredients that can be used in food.

e) Contribution to the vitalization of the food industry by supplying safe food to the public through securing the safety of food ingredients, and developing various products by expanding raw materials items that can be used in food.

9) Revision of MRLs of veterinary drug in food [Articles 2 3. 8) (3) and Table 8]

a) Necessity to prepare a list for efficient management of veterinary drugs that are exempt from setting residual allowance standards according to relevant laws and regulations.

b) Establishment of a list of substances exempted from the application of MRLs for veterinary drugs that are harmless or will not remain in the human body among veterinary drugs approved for use in food.

c) Clarification of substances that are exempt from the application of the MRLs among veterinary drugs to prevent confusion due to unnecessary collection, inspection and application of standards.

10) Revision and establishment of the application principle of MRLs for residual substances in livestock and marine products [Articles 2 3. 9) (1) ②]

a) Necessity to clarify the application principle of MRLs for livestock and marine products by-products.

b) Establishment of the same principle used for veterinary drugs for applying MRLs to the by-products of livestock and marine products that do not have a separate standard..

c) Establishment of a foundation for safety management of livestock and marine products by clarifying the application principles of MRLs.

11) Establishment and revision of MRLs in agricultural products [Table 4] for (2) Glufosinate(ammonium), (4) Napropamide, (9) Deltamethrin, (32) Malathion, (38) Metalaxyl, (55) Buprofezin, (61) Bifenthrin, (68) Cyhalothrin, (78) Alachlor, (86) Ethoprophos, (93) Omethoate, (125) Chlorothalonil, (130) Chlorpropham, (135) Terbufos, (149) Triflumizole, (152) Thiobencarb, (163) Pendimethalin, (192) Propiconazole, (200) Hexaconazole, (206) Chlorfenapyr, (210) Fenazaquin, (212) Flufenoxuron, (215) Fipronil, (218) Dimethomorph, (225) Cyprodinil, (227) Acetamiprid, (228) Azoxystrobin, (230) Kresoxim-methyl, (231) Chlorfluazuron, (235) Fosthiazate, (237) Pymetrozine, (238) Fludioxonil, (239) Fluazinam, (242) Lufenuron, (248) Abamectin, (249) Emamectin benzoate, (255) Famoxadone, (257) Fluquinconazole, (283) Acibenzolar-S-methyl, (301) Fenhexamid, (302) Fosetyl-aluminium, (323) Boscalid, (325) Cyazofamid, (326) Acequinocyl, (338) Thiacloprid, (345) Pyraclostrobin, (352) Methoxyfenozide, (353) Metconazole, (356) Ethaboxam, (357) Dithiocarbamates, (370) Benthiavalicarb-isopropyl, (373) Spiromesifen, (393) Metaldehyde, (403) Metaflumizone, (404) Metrafenone, (405) Cyenopyrafen, (408) Spinetoram, (409) Amisulbrom, (416) Chlorantraniliprole, (419) Prohexadione-calcium, (422) Penthiopyrad, (423) Picoxystrobin, (424) Pyrifluquinazon, (427) Imicyafos, (430) Sulfoxaflor, (431) Isopyrazam, (433) Cyantraniliprole, (436) Flutianil, (437) Fluxapyroxad, (441) Pyribencarb, (453) Mandestrobin, (455) Oxathiapiprolin, (458) Cyclaniliprole, (460) Picarbutrazox, (467) Fluxametamide, (469) Flutriafol, (499) Fluthiacet-methyl, (500) Pydiflumetofen, (501) Streptomycin, (502) Validamycin A, (508) Mefentrifluconazole, (509) Broflanilide]

a) Necessity of establishment and revision of the standards in accordance with the application of the MRLs of pesticides in imported agricultural products and the safety management of pesticides newly registered in the Pesticide Control Act.

b) Establishment and revisision of 82 pesticide MRLs such as Glufosinate(ammonium).

c) Providing safe food to the public by establishing and revising the MRLs for pesticide in agricultural products.

12) Establishment and revisision of general test methods [Articles 5. 9. 9-3 6) (1) ①, Article 5. 10. 10-2 6) (31), Article 5. 10. 10-2 6) (33), Article 5. 14. 14-4 6) (6), Article 8. 2. 2.2 2.2.1 2.2.1.2 ~ 2.2.1.4, Article 8. 2. 2.2 2.2.1 2.2.1.6 ∼ 2.2.1.8, Article 8. 2. 2.2 2.2.1 2.2.1.10 ～ 2.2.1.12, Article 8. 2. 2.2 2.2.1 2.2.1.15, Article 8. 7.7.1 7.1.3 7.1.3.48, Article 8. 7.7.1 7.1.3 7.1.3.49, Article 8. 7.7.1 7.1.4 7.1.4.19, Article 8. 7.7.1 7.1.4 7.1.4.181, Article 8. 8. 8.3 8.3.7, Article 8. 9. 9.1 9.1.1 ~ 9.1.4, Article 8. 9. 9.1 9.1.6 ~ 9.1.10, Article 8. 9. 9.2 9.2.2, Article 8. 9. 9.2 9.2.9]

a) Necessity to improve the accuracy and efficiency of test results and to prepare test methods according to the establishment and revision of standards.

b) Clarification of test samples of the test method for hazardous substances in food, heavy metal sample preparation and instrument analysis method, and expansion of the application target of the aflatoxin test method.

c) Establishment of four pesticide test methods, such as Mefentrifluconazole and Triticonazole, among agricultural products.

d) Amendment of the relevant test method so that the nitrofurazone quantitative test is performed only when nitrofurazone metabolites (semicarbazide) are detected in crustaceans.

e) Providing safe food to the public by improving inspection reliability through the revision of scientific test methods.

13) Clarification of wordings etc. [Article1. 2. 1), Article2. 3. 3), Article2. 3. 5) (2) ①, Article5. 12. 12-2 6), Article8. 1. 1.2 1.2.1 다. 3), Article8. 1. 1.2 1.2.1 마. 3) 나) (1), Article8. 1. 1.2 1.2.1 마. 3) 나) (3), Article8. 1. 1.2 1.2.1 마. 3) 나) (4), Article8. 1. 1.2 1.2.1 마. 3) 나) (6), Article8. 1. 1.2 1.2.1 마. 3) 나) (9), Article8. 1. 1.2 1.2.2 다. 나) (2), Article8. 1. 1.2 1.2.2 다. 나) (3) (가), Article8. 1. 1.2 1.2.2. 다. 마), Article8. 1. 1.2 1.2.2. 다. 허) (4), Article8. 2. 2.2 2.2.1 2.2.1.14 나. 5), Article8. 4. 4.11 가. 4), Article8. 5. 5.2 5.2.2 나. 2) 다) (6) (가), Article8. 5. 5.2 5.2.2 나. 2) 다) (7) (가), Article8. 6. 6.6 6.6.4 6.6.4.1 나, Article8. 6. 6.10 6.10.7 나, Article8. 6. 6.10 6.10.8 나, Article8. 6. 6.10 6.10.9 가. 3) 가), Article8. 6. 6.10 6.10.9 나. 2) 가) (1), Article8. 6. 6.11 6.11.1 6.11.1.2, Article8. 7. 7.1 7.1.3 7.1.3.26 마. 1), Article8. 7. 7.1 7.1.4 7.1.4.119 마. 1), Article8. 9. 9.8 9.8.3 마. 3), Article8. 10. 10.1 10.1.3 10.1.3.1 가. 1), Article8. 11, Article8. 11. 11.2, Article8. 11. 11.4]

a) Clarification of the application principles of food additive use standards.

b) Revision of the term “beans”(“콩류”) to “pulses”(“두류”) among foods subject to heavy metal standards of agricultural products.

c) Unification of the term 'Beaker'(‘비이커’) into 'Beaker' ‘비커’according to the standard Korean Dictionary (National Institute of the Korean Language).

d) Clarification of reagent purity such as concentrated hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid used in this notice.

e) Improvement of credibility in notifications through the use of standard words and unification of terms.

Related articles (Korean):

Food Code (2020-24)