As of 2015, foreign food makers and local importers are expected to encounter a more difficult time due to stricter safety rules which are applied by the government. The lawmakers are now pushing for legislation in order to enhance the safety of imported food. On June 17, 2013, a group of 12 lawmakers said that they would like to seek to mandate foreign food makers and local importers to register information regarding their food imports with the Ministry of Food and Drug and Safety which is Korea’s food watchdog.
An official from the Ministry said, “We expect a special bill on safety management of imported food, which is pending at the National Assembly, to be enacted soon”. The official went on to say that the bill is aimed to consolidate scattered rules and regulations regarding safety of imported food, which will help to build a control tower and also increase efficiency.
According to the current law, imported food products including fisheries, processed and agricultural products and meat have been controlled by various rules and regulations which are based on the type of food.
The new rules will allow the Korean food authorities to register information on the location of the manufacturing facilities and products to the authorities one week before an imported declaration is filed.
