1.

Notifying Member: Republic of Korea

If applicable, name of local government involved:  

2.

Agency responsible: Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

3.

Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable): Food products

4.

Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:

[X]     All trading partners  

[ ]       Specific regions or countries:  

5.

Title of the notified document: Proposed Amendments to the Standards and Specifications for Foods  Language(s): Korean  Number of pages: 150

http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2014/sps/KOR/14_0485_00_x.pdf

http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2014/sps/KOR/14_0485_01_x.pdf

6.

Description of content: The proposed amendment seeks to:

1.       Revise the standard for the usage of Rhus verniciflua Stokes as raw material in food.

·     In addition to its water extract, tea bags of Rhus verniciflua Stokes can be used.

2.       Revise the preservation and distribution standards of chocolate products.

·     Frozen chocolate products can be thawed, and be distributed or preserved at chilled or room temperature.

3.       Establish the standard for fluorine in balanced diet for patients.

·     Fluorine: below 0.2 mg/100kcal.

4.       Revise the sampling and handling methods for fishery products.

·     Specified the water removal method in fishery products so that the water content of samples does not exceed the fishery product's original water content.

5.       Establish the maximum residue limits for pesticides (Pyraclostrobin, Methoxyfenozide, Carbosulfan, Carbofuran) remaining in foods and agricultural products.

6.       Establish the maximum residue limits for veterinary drugs (Sulpyrine, Cypermethrin, Piperazine, Amikacin, Norgestomet, Rifaximin) remaining in foods.

7.       Revise the general test methods.

·     Revise the test methods for dioxin and urushiol.

·     Establish the test methods for genetically modified food and caffeine.

7.

Objective and rationale: [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, [ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from other damage from pests.  

8.

Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:

[ ]       Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard or related text)  

[ ]       World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic Animal Health Code, chapter number)  

[ ]       International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)  

[X]     None

Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard? 

[ ] Yes   [ ] No

If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the international standard:  

9.

Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:

·         Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Advance Notice No. 2014-11, 16 January 2014 (available in Korean)

10.

Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy): To be determined.

Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy): To be determined.

11.

Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or (dd/mm/yy): To be determined.

[ ]       Trade facilitating measure  

12.

Final date for comments: [X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification and/or (dd/mm/yy): 4 April 2014

Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [ ] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e?mail address (if available) of other body:

International Cooperation Office

Ministry of Food and Drug safety

#187 Osongsaengmyeong2-ro, Osong-eup,

Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do

363-700, Korea

Tel: +(82 43) 719 1559

Fax: +(82 43) 719 1550

E-mail: wtokfda@korea.kr

13.

Texts available from: [ ] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e?mail address (if available) of other body:

Documents are available from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety website at: http://www.mfds.go.kr. Also available from:

International Cooperation Office

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

#187 Osongsaengmyeong2-ro, Osong-eup,

Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do

363-700, Korea

Tel: +(82 43) 719 1559

Fax: +(82 43) 719 1550

E-mail: wtokfda@korea.kr