The document outlines Korea Food & Drug Administration's systems for ensuring food safety of imported foods, including:
1) Onsite inspections of exporters' facilities to identify safety hazards and ensure facilities meet Korean standards.
2) A registration system allowing pre-inspected exporters to be exempt from some import inspections.
3) A "Good Importer Practice" registration encouraging importers to inspect exporters and be subject to fewer import restrictions.
4) Mandatory sanitation control and product quality monitoring for OEM imported foods to ensure safety of contract manufactured foods.
2. CONTENTS
Onsite Inspection of Exporter’s Facilities
System of Registration for Prior Inspection Completion
Good Importer Practice
System of Managing Safety of OEM Imported Foods
4. 1. Onsite Inspection of Exporter’s Facilities
u Secure the safety of imported food in advance as
recommendations for improvement after prediction of
hazards occurrence possibility by inspecting the state of
sanitation in exporters' manufacturing facilities
u Secure the safety of imported food by explanation of
Korea's food import system and food standards and
specifications
u Exchange of information between the countries’
officials on exportation and importation food system to
import safe foods
6. 2.1. System of Registration for Prior Inspection Completion
u This system is to secure safety of food imports by
preemptively identifying any food safety hazards in
manufacturing and processing facilities either by; conducting
onsite inspections or, requiring the exporting country
government to administer inspections and report the results.
Food imports that are proved safe through this process are
exempt from inspections when they are imported
u Exemption from the initial close inspection and random
sampling inspection on imported foods of registered supplier
7. 2.2. System of Registration for Prior Inspection Completion
u Application Qualification
- suppliers manufacturing and processing food to
be exported to Korea
※ importers can also apply on behalf of the exporters
u Registration Subject
- foods, food additives, utensils, containers, and
packages, functional foods
※ agricultural, forestry, and fishery food products and
other food products made though simple processing
are excluded replace
8. 2.3. System of Registration for Prior Inspection Completion
u Registration procedures
- Applying for registration for prior inspection
completion (required documents must be attached)
→evaluation of documents → onsite inspection →
final evaluation and determination → registration
when satisfies
※ exporting country governments' inspection can
replace onsite inspection
9. 2.4. System of Registration for Prior Inspection Completion
u Costs( benefit principle is applied )
- application charge of KRW 28,000
- travel expenses for onsite inspectors
u Checklists
- whether or not the product should be included in the
sales prohibition list with safety hazards
- whether or not the product meets specifications, and
facilities meet standards
- whether or not there are any false or misleading
labels whether or not the product satisfies HACCP
standards
11. 3.1. Good Importer Practice
u This system is to make importers, as the first line of
responsibility for the safety of food imports, conduct
onsite inspection of manufacturing and processing
facilities, of which the result can be confirmed, and
can be registered as a "good importer" if it is satisfied
u Incentives on the Registered Product
- exemption from random sampling inspection, and
fast- track administrative procedure when import
declaration
- designated on KFDA homepages as an excellent
import business
- Allowed to use the " Good Importer" logo
12. 3.2. Good Importer Practice
u Application Qualification
- persons who wish to import foods, etc
u Subjects
- foods, food additives, utensils, containers, and packages
※ functional foods, agricultural, forestry, fishery food
products and other food products made through simple
processing are excluded
u Registration Procedures
- Inspect sanitation procedures in the exporter's facilities →
apply to register → onsite sanitation inspection by the
KFDA → register as a good importer
13. 3.3. Good Importer Practice
u Required documents
- documents proving business licenses of the exporting
manufacturer
- inspection report of manufacturers' facilities
u Application charge of KRW 28,000
u Cheklists
- 85 items in 6 areas of raw materials and their storage,
facilities, process management, quality control of finished
products and their storage, consumer information, and
staff training for conducting sanitation inspections
※ in accordance with the「Sanitation Management
Standard for Manufacturers of Exporting Countries」
15. 4.1.System of Managing Safety of OEM Imported Foods
u This system is to make OEM food importers
mandatorily conduct sanitation inspection of the exporter'
manufacturing facilities and control the quality of the
products
※ OEM(Original Equipment Manufacturing) foods are
manufactured by overseas contractors and labeled with the
contractee's brand(logo, sign, letter, figure, etc.)
16. 4.2.System of Managing Safety of OEM Imported Foods
Obligarion
Mandatory Sanitation Control Mandatory product quality
Imposing on OEM food importers duties of control
mandatory sanitation control for the Imposing on OEM food importers duties of
mandatory self-quality control for OEM food
manufacturing facilities of the exporting
products (maintaining 2 years of product quality
country
control records)
Mandatory submission of Mandatory labeling of OEM
reasons for setting the food imports
circulation period Labeling place of origin and its OEM status in Korean
around the main marking area of the product name on
applied to first-time batch of imports after Aug.12,
the package, in a size larger than 50% of the product
2009 when the regulation came into effect name
17. 4.3.System of Managing Safety of OEM Imported Foods
u Inspection Contents
- OEM food importers entrust food safety inspection agencies to
conduct the safety inspection of exporters' manufacturing
facilities in accordance with the designated inspection cycle
u Subjects
- food, food additives
※ functional foods, agricultural, forestry, and fishery food
products, alcohol beverages are excluded
u Cycle of sanitation inspection for OEM food
- food determined to be inadequate after inspection & food for
special uses : once per year
- other foods : more than once every two years
18. 4.4.System of Managing Safety of OEM Imported Foods
u Sanitation Inspection Checklists
- 62 items in 6 areas of raw materials and their storage,
facilities, process management, quality control of finished
products and their storage, consumer information, and staff
training for conducting sanitation inspections
※ In accordance with the「Sanitation Management
Standard for Manufacturers of Exporting Countries」
uFor cases where sanitation inspection may be exempt
- the product registered as a good importer practice
- when it is demonstrated that the sanitation level is
maintained in accordance with international standards of
which the level is equal to, or higher than, the standards of
Korea