The document summarizes KFDA's policies on food safety control for imported foods in South Korea. It outlines that KFDA and MIFAFF are responsible for regulating imported foods, with KFDA covering most food categories. It describes testing procedures for imported foods, including document review, sensory testing, laboratory analysis, and random sampling at KFDA laboratories. It provides statistics on the status of imported foods in 2010, including top countries, inspection types, violations, and the growth of organic food imports. Finally, it outlines recent amendments made to Korea's Food Sanitation Act regarding imported food testing and regulations.

1. KFDA policy on food safety control
for imported foods
28 OCT, 2011
수입식품과

2. 1 Government Agencies Responsible for imported food
2 Testing procedures and methods for imported food
3 Current Status for Food imported
4 Amendment of Food Sanitation Act.
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3. 1. Government Agencies Responsible for imported food
KFDA (Korea Food & Drug Administration)
• Coverage : Agricultural products, processed food, health functional food,
food additives, utensil, containers and packaging.
• Regulation : Food Sanitary Act, Health Functional Food Act
MIFAFF (Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries)
• Coverage : Livestocks(beef, pig, poultry, etc.), Processed livestock
products(99 items), Marine products
• Regulation : Livestock Sanitation Management Act,
Food Sanitation Act (for marine products)
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4. 2. Testing procedures and methods for imported food
Imports Storage Import report
at warehouse
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5. 2. Testing procedures and methods for imported food
Test Types and Durations
Laboratory Testing
Microorganism, nutrition composition, pesticides,
mycotoxins, benzopyrene, food additives,
veterinary drugs, illegal drugs, and not permitted
in Korea, etc.
Random
Document Sensory Laboratory sampling
review test test test
(2days) (3days) (10days) (5days)
Confirm Reject
⇒ Domestic Distribution ⇒ Return or Discard
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6. 2. Testing procedure and methods for imported foods
Location of KFDA and 6 regional KFDA
Gyeongin Seoul
Regional KFDA Regional KFDA
3 test bodies
Daegu
Regional KFDA
KFDA
(Osong)
Busan
Regional KFDA
Daejeon
Regional KFDA
4 Test bodies
Gwanju
Regional KFDA
2 Test sub-bodies
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7. 3. Status of imported foods
< Total>
500,000 14,000,000
450,000
12,000,000
400,000
10,000,000
350,000
8,000,000
300,000
6,000,000
250,000
4,000,000
200,000
150,000 2,000,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Total Case
Total Weight(ton)
In 2010, foods are imported from 129 countries
Total Amount(thousand $)
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8. 3. Status of Imported Foods in 2010
Status of Inspection types
’09년 8월
Document Sensory Laboratory Random
Total sampling test
test test test
293,988 183,109 25,974 59,431 25,474
(100%) (62.3%) (8.8%) (20.2%) (8.7%)
In Year 2010, Cases 15.1%, Weight 14.2%, Amount 22.8% were increased
in contrast to 2009 , whereas Laboratory test(including Random sampling
test) was decreased by roughly 2%
Status of Foods (compared to 2009, in %)
Utensils,
Agricultural Processed Food Health Function
Containers &
products foods additives Foods
packages
39,413 157,570 33,503 56,947 6,555
(19.0↑) (12.7↑) (7.7↑) (28.6↑) (7.2↓)

9. Status of Violation Contents
Contents 2010 year 2009 year
1,143 1,229
Totals
(0.39%) (0.48%)
Subtotals 317 483
2010년
Agricultural Products 500
1 -
2009년
450
Processed Foods 38 56
Specification/ 400
Health Function Foods 90 71
standards 350
Food Additives (Contents
26 26 300
etc.)
250
Utensil, Containers &
162 330 200
Packages
Food Additives(Sulfur dioxide etc.) 150
356 280
100
Microorganism 217 242
50
Alien Substances 104 100
0
Pesticides 16 17
Veterinary medicines 7 17
Mycotoxins(Aflatoxins etc.) 24 8
Benzopyrene 23 19
Prohibited Medical compounds in Foods 6 17
Irradiation 25 -
Others 49 46

10. 3. Status of imported Organic foods
• Main organic products
- banana, wheat(for flour), kiwi, acorn
- Brown sugar, Processed fruit-vegetable product,
Processed sugar product, Infused tea, Soy flour
• Main import countries of organic products
- USA, Germany, Italy, China, France, Brazil, Philippine, Australia
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11. •4. Amendment of Food sanitation Act
Revised Food sanitation act on 19 Aug., 2011
• Exception item of document review
- Non-color glasses with lead compound in cooking utensils
• Laboratory test
- Foods imported by processor(manufacturer) for dectected
Hazard substance for 2 years
• Changed criteria of The same foods of the same company
- Deletion importer in criteria
• Establishment of Collection amount
- Supplement collection amount of Irradiation test
• Revised of “Import Report” form
- Change of Handling period in heat-preservation test(15days)
- Establishment of Handling period in Irradiation test(14days)
- Checking of High calorie - low nutrient food

12. Imported Foods Information Site:
http://www.foodnara.go.kr/ importfood