Registration of foreign food facility

 Goods regulated under the SPECIAL ACT ON IMPORTED FOOD SAFETY CONTROL (수입식품안전관리 특별법, hereinafter “the Act”) are foods, food additives, apparatus, and containers and packages as defined under Article 2 of the FOOD SANITATION ACT (식품위생법), health functional foods under Article 3 of the HEALTH FUNCTIONAL FOODS ACT (건강기능식품에 관한 법률), and livestock products under Article 2 of the LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS SANITARY CONTROL ACT (축산물 위생관리법) that are imported into Korea from abroad.

 

For the purpose of control prior to importation, the Act requires registration of the places where the controlled goods are produced, processed, packaged, stored, etc. The places are classified into two groups – foreign food facility (해외제조업소) and foreign establishment (해외작업장).

Ø  Foreign food facility: a facility located abroad (including a ship where fishery products are produced or processed) where imported food, etc. (excluding livestock products) is produced, manufactured, processed, treated, packaged, stored, etc.

Ø  Foreign establishment: an establishment located abroad where livestock products imported into Korea from abroad are slaughtered, milk is collected, livestock products and dairy products are manufactured, processed, stored, etc.

 

MFDS (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) imported food information website (https://impfood.mfds.go.kr/CFCCC01F02/getList2?page=1&limit=10&active2=active&totalCnt2=12938&srchBsshCode=&srchEstCd=&srchBsshTy=ovsmnfst&srchBsshSttus=ALL&srchNtnCd=&srchBsshNm=&srchBsshAddr=&srchFoodSeCd=&foodEndDtm=Y) offers information on the registered places.

A code is designated to each facility/establishment and manufacturer’s information is input into the Import Declaration of Food, etc. through the code.

 

In the case of the foreign establishment, the application for registration shall be filed with the MFDS via the government of an exporting country, not directly by its operator. On the other hand, in the case of the foreign food facility, a person who intends to import food, etc. into Korea or person who establishes and operates a foreign food facility shall file the application for registration with the MFDS.

 

Most of the applications which shall be filed with the MFDS are processed only through the Korean webpage. However, the application for foreign food facility can also be filed through the English webpage: https://impfood.mfds.go.kr/CFKAA01F01

MFDS posted the registration manual – “Process of Foreign Food Facility Registration”. It is not difficult to follow each step, referring to the manual. Registration result can be found in the English website as well: https://impfood.mfds.go.kr/CFKAA02F01

It shall be noted that, there exists the expiration date. Except for fishery products, renewing registration of foreign food facility is required to make the registration valid after the expiration date.

 

Besides, when the registered information is changed, the applicant should make the change reflected in the registration by filing the application for changing registration of foreign food facility. If the manufacturer’s information input into the Import Declaration of Foods, etc. is different from the facts, business suspension – 10 days, 20 days, and 1 month for the first, second and third violation respectively may be imposed.

 

It shall also be noted that, when the facility has been relocated, new registration is required just as the tree above shows.