1.
Reasons for Amendment
The Amendment newly inserts an erucic acid limit for
canola oil and an inorganic arsenic limit for brown rice. It ensures that the
people are provided with safe foods by amending maximum residue limits for
pesticides used in Korea and abroad and food safety specifications for raw
foods, while also newly inserting standards and specifications for foods for
patients with hypertension, hydration and electrolyte supplements for patients,
and alternative foods. It improves provisions to allow unheated meat products
to be manufactured as age-friendly foods, thereby aiming to allow a wide range
of food to be supplied to consumers.
2.
Major Provisions
A.
Newly insert standards for alternative foods [1. 2.
3) and 3. 3.]
1) The safety of alternative foods can be managed under
the current provisions, but market growth has resulted in an emerging need for
standards to cover a wide variety of alternative foods.
2) Newly insert standards and specifications for foods
that are labeled and sold as alternative foods.
3) Ensure efficient safety management of alternative
foods, enhance product diversification, and increase the ease of consumer
choice.
B.
Newly insert an inorganic arsenic limit for brown rice [2. 3.
5) (2) ①]
1) A reevaluation of the limits and specifications for
heavy metals in food has highlighted a need to prescribe limits for foods with
high exposure to inorganic arsenic.
2) Newly insert an inorganic arsenic limit for brown
rice.
3) Strengthen safety control of heavy metals in foods
commonly consumed by the people of Korea, ensure alignment with international
standards and international trends to strengthen control of inorganic arsenic.
C.
Amend standards and specifications for age-friendly food [3. 2.
3) (3)]
1) Current provisions require meat products to be fully
cooked to prevent food poisoning in elderly persons, but there is high demand
for unheated products from residential facilities, etc.
2) Amend manufacturing/processing standards to allow the
manufacture of unheated products.
3) Lay the groundwork for developing and supplying a wide
range of age-friendly foods to meet the demand from older people.
D.
Newly insert an erucic acid limit for canola oil [5. 7. 7-1 3) (6)]
1) There is a need to prescribe standards and
specifications to manage erucic acid, a toxic fatty acid found in canola oil.
2) Newly insert manufacturing/processing standards
prescribing that canola oil shall be manufactured with an erucic acid content
of not more than 2%.
3) Enhance food safety control and public health by
prescribing standards and specifications on erucic acid in canola oil.
E.
Newly insert food for special medical purposes and the relevant standards and
specifications [5. 11. 11-1, 5. 11. 11-2, 5. 11. 11-3]
1) Manufacturing standards are currently only available
for foods for patients with certain conditions and for certain purposes, which
limits the provision of products for a variety of conditions.
2) Newly insert nutrition formula for patients with
hypertension, dietary foods for patients with hypertension, and hydration and
electrolyte supplements and the relevant standards and specifications.
3) Improve the ease of meal management for patients with
hypertension, and lay the groundwork for supplying a variety of food for
special medical purposes.
F. Amend the types of table salt [5. 13. 13-6 (4)–(5)]
1) There is a need to reclassify deep sea salt, which is
currently classified as a refined salt, to reflect its production method.
2) Classify deep sea salt as a miscellaneous salt.
3) Lay the groundwork for rational safety control by
classifying products according to their properties and applying the relevant
standards and specifications.
G.
Amend specifications on foodborne pathogens in raw food [5. 23.
23–1 5)]
1) There is a need to expand/introduce statistical
concepts to ensure microbe specifications are managed in a rational, scientific
manner.
2) Introduce statistics-based microbe specifications for
Clostridium perfringens in raw food to reflect risk assessment results.
3) Ensure that the representativeness and reliability of
microbe tests to promote the food industry protect the people’s health and
reduce trade friction in imports/exports.
H.
Amend maximum residue limits for pesticides in agricultural produce [(66)
Cypermethrin in attached Table 4]
1) There is a need to reflect reassessed maximum residue limits
for pesticides used in Korea and abroad.
2) Amend the maximum residue limit for cypermethrin as a
Category 1 pesticide.
3) Provide the people with safe food by making reasonable
amendments to maximum residue limits for pesticides in agricultural produce.
