The Republic of Korea has notified proposed amendments to its “Standards and Specifications for Food Additives”, aimed at updating regulatory provisions for several categories of additives, including nutritional fortifiers, sulfites, phosphates, and sweeteners, as well as revising analytical testing methods used to verify additive specifications. The amendments are intended to strengthen food safety oversight and align national standards with internationally recognized guidelines.
One of the key elements of the proposal is the expansion of the use and designation of nutritional fortifiers. The amendment introduces updates to the classification and designation of nutrient-based additives that may be used to fortify foods, allowing broader application of vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional substances under the food additive regulatory framework. This change is intended to facilitate nutrient fortification while maintaining clear regulatory definitions for fortifying agents.
The proposal also includes revisions to standards governing sulfites and related substances, which are commonly used as preservatives and reducing agents in food processing. The amendment updates the specifications and purity requirements for substances such as sodium hydrosulfite (Na?S?O?), including impurity limits. For example, the specification establishes limits for contaminants such as lead, which must not exceed 2.0 mg/kg in purity testing.
In addition, the draft introduces revisions to ingredient specifications for phosphate additives. Several phosphate compounds are being reclassified or renamed to improve clarity and consistency in additive identification. The amendments include updates to substances such as sodium metaphosphate, sodium polyphosphate, pentasodium triphosphate, pentapotassium triphosphate, potassium polyphosphate, and sodium pyrophosphate, with more precise chemical descriptions added in certain cases, such as distinguishing insoluble sodium metaphosphate or glassy polyphosphate forms.
The proposal further revises standards for the use of sweeteners, updating regulatory conditions and usage provisions applicable to sweetening agents used in foods. These revisions aim to ensure that sweeteners continue to be used in accordance with updated safety standards and technological requirements.
Another major component of the amendment concerns updates to testing methods for food additive specifications. The proposal revises analytical procedures used to determine ingredient specifications, including methods for measuring physical properties such as specific gravity and other analytical parameters. These updates are intended to improve the accuracy and reliability of laboratory testing used in regulatory compliance and inspections.
The primary objective of the proposed amendments is food safety, ensuring that food additives used in Korea meet updated purity specifications and analytical standards. The proposal also indicates alignment with international guidelines established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, particularly the General Standard for Food Additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995), and confirms that the draft regulation conforms to the relevant Codex standard.
Overall, the proposed revisions reflect Korea’s ongoing efforts to modernize its regulatory framework for food additives by updating technical specifications, expanding the permitted use of nutritional fortifiers, and strengthening analytical testing requirements used to verify additive compliance
Consumer News Region