Korea | Promotion of Use of Food Additives for Infants & Young Children
Partial Revision of Specifications and Standards of Food Additives (hereinafter referred to as "Food Additives Code")
The Ministry of Food & Drug Safety (MFDS) has announced proposed revisions to the "Food Additives Code" to restrict the use of 14 food additives such as Guar Gum, Pectin and so on in infant formula and other food for young children.
○ This revision is designed to strengthen the management of food additives used in infant food and food for young children as there is an increasing trend of preparing of such manufactured infant food to be cosumed at home. Domestic production of infant formula (from MFDS report on actual production results): (2014) 208.6 billion won → (2016) 250.6 billion won.
Main contents of amendment
▲ Revision of standards of use for 14 food additives used in infant formulation and food.
▲ Designation of 'Peroxyacetic acid' as a food fungicide and establishment of it's specifications and standards.
▲Revision of pH standards used in alcoholic beverage production for import clearance purposes.
○ In order to strengthen food safety management of infant foods and food for young children, the MFDS has proposed to establish the amounts in which 14 food additives can be contained in the above-mentioned food category and revisions will be made to existing regulations to limit the use of the said food additives in infant and young children foods.
1) Standards of use for Guar gum:
(Current) No limits for standards of use.
(Proposed revision) 2g / kg or less
(10g / kg for young and infant cereal formula)
2) Establishment of regulations related to naturally derived food additives to allow them to be recognized without the need for the submission of evidence when the food ingredients or food additives such as propionic acid, benzoic acid, etc., which can be derived naturally from manufacturing processes such as fermentation are detected in the product.
Natural Origin: A state in which a food additive that is not intentionally added but derived naturally from the food product.
Hitherto manufacturers/importer were required prove that the food additive detected is derived naturally, but with this revision, in the case whereby the detection limit is within the approved range of precedent cases, the food additives will be admissible without the submission of supporting evidence.
* Examples and detection amounts of naturally derived food additives are published on the 'Food Safety Korea' (www.foodsafetykorea.go.kr).
The MFDS has newly designated 'Peroxyacetic acid' as a fungicide for disinfecting fruits, vegetables, mammals and poultry and established the standards and specifications for Peroxyacetic acid products.
Reference: Peroxyacetic acid has excellent sterilization effect on livestock products and decomposes into acetic acid, octanoic acid, water, and oxygen after use, and there is no fear of harmful effects on the human body.
In addition, the MFDS has deleted the acidity standard to be used in the manufacture of alcoholid beverages so that manufacturers can produce traditional liquors with various flavors and taste by using A. luchuensis etc in addition to Aspergillus oryzae for customs clearance purposes.
Import: Steamed cereal that contains starch hydrolysis enzymes that propagates microorganisms such as Aspergillu will serve to breakdown starch into sugars during fermentation of alcoholic beverages.
The MFDS has annouced future plans to rationally improve food additives standards and specifications in order to ensure food safety and vitalize the food industry.
If you have comments on the proposed amendment, you can submit your opinions to the MDFDS by August 15, 2018.
Source:
Food Additives Report (June 15, 2018)