On March 2, the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) issued Announcement No. 2023-101, intending to amend some of the content of the "Regulations on Inspection of imported Food, etc.", the main amendments are as follows:

1. Revision of the handling procedures for agricultural products imported in bulk by ships: When the customs clearance places for agricultural products imported in bulk by ships are divided into two or more, all import declarers can simultaneously report to the local food The drug hall shall declare the import in advance; the local food and drug halls shall conduct inspections at the same time, and when the agricultural products declared for import are selected as the objects of on-site inspection, precise inspection or random sampling inspection, the customs clearance place entered for the first time shall be governed by the local food and drug department in charge of the place. The person in charge of the department conducts a sampling inspection, the results of which are applicable to all relevant imported agricultural products.

2. The company's own raw materials for production (food additives and spices, food raw materials for refined processing) can apply for fast customs clearance for import according to the application process.

3. The processing method is clearly stipulated. If the import declaration of the health functional food selected as the object of random sampling inspection is voluntarily canceled (returned) and the import declaration is made again, if there is no special reason, random sampling inspection must be carried out.

4. Increase the pesticide residue inspection items for the first precise inspection of imported agricultural products. Originally, 69 kinds of pesticide residues were inspected, but now 45 kinds of pesticides with unqualified records have been added, and a total of 113 pesticide residues have been inspected collectively, including Pesticides, etc.

5. Adjust the scope of foods that ensure safety among the foods that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has determined that there are no unqualified inspection results: lychees and broccoli from China, coffee beans from Brazil, mangoes from the Philippines, Roasted coffee produced in eastern Myanmar, Italy and the United States is not within the scope of certification.

The above comments are solicited until May 1, 2023.