Reasons for Proposal
Currently, “Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)” according to the Food Sanitation Act are provided regarding food manufactured, processed, cooked, subdivided or distributed domestically, and a place of business in compliance is certified as a “food service establishment adopting food safety management certification standards,” while certain items prescribed by Ordinance of the Prime Minister such as kimchi, etc., are required to adopt food safety management certification standards.
Imported food, however, is not subject to “food safety management certification standards” according to the Food Sanitation Act, such that there is lack of systematic control regarding hazardous elements in its production, processing, etc. In the case of imported foods such as kimchi, etc., which do not undergo thermal processing and therefore pose significant concern of food contamination, strict control over manufacturing processes is needed.
Therefore, the Act aims to certify a imported food facility complying with “food safety management certification standards” according to the Food Sanitation Act as a “food service establishment adopting imported food safety management certification standards,” while requiring that items posing significant concern of poisoning in their raw material control, production, etc., that are prescribed by Ordinance of the Prime Minister, be imported only when their production, manufacture, processing, treatment, packaging, storage, etc., have been conducted in a “food service establishment adopting imported food safety management certification standards,” thereby strengthening imported food safety management (Article 6-2 newly inserted).
Major Provisions
- Where a person who establishes and operates a food service establishment adopting imported food safety management certification standards intends to make changes to a certified matter that has also been prescribed by Ordinance of the Prime Minister, he/she shall obtain a certification of change from the Minister of Food and Drug Safety (Article 6-2 (2)).
- Imported food which poses significant concern of food contamination and mixed harmful materials in its raw material control or production, etc., that is prescribed by Ordinance of the Prime Minister, shall only be imported when its production, manufacture, processing, treatment, packaging, storage, etc. have been conducted in a “food service establishment adopting imported food safety management certification standards” (Article 6-2 (4)).
