FOOD AND HEALTH ESSENTIALS

Korea to adopt positive list system for all agricultural products

Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has decided to formally adopt a positive list system (PLS) regulating agricultural chemical residues in food and food products.

A PLS is intended to address gaps in the regulation of chemical residues by establishing an overall maximum residue level (MRL) for pesticides and other chemicals not expressly identified in the regulations. Consistent with the most recent edition of Korea’s Food Code (2018-8) which was released earlier this year, Korea is expected to enforce PLS requirements on all agricultural products as of January 1, 2019, except for certain limited categories of products that are otherwise registered.

The action by the MFDS is expected to help bring Korea into closer alignment with comparable requirements in Japan and the European Union, as well as with current requirements under the Codex Alimentarius.