The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will expand the automated inspection and reporting system for imported food, 'Electronic Examination 24 (SAFE-i24)', to include cooking utensils, containers, and packaging from this month onward. Importers will benefit from a reduced clearance processing time, allowing for same-day clearance and thus saving on unnecessary warehouse expenses.
According to the Food and Drug Safety Agency on the 22nd, electronic inspections began on imported cooking utensils and containers and packaging starting from the 6th. The products covered include uncolored transparent glass, which does not use coloring agents on food contact surfaces and is thus less likely to cause harm, stainless steel with low corrosion risk, and products made from natural materials such as stone pots and banana leaves.
Cooking utensils and containers come into direct contact with food, making it essential to use safe products. As such, the agency aims to prepare management plans for materials such as synthetic resins and ceramics before expanding their application.
Earlier, the Food and Drug Safety Agency introduced the electronic inspection 24 system for imported foods in September 2023. Starting with food additives, the system was expanded in December 2023 to include agricultural, livestock, and fishery products, and in May last year, to processed foods and health supplements.
The introduction of the electronic inspection system by the Food and Drug Safety Agency was prompted by a situation where 55% of food is imported, and the long-term war between Russia and Ukraine disrupted the supply of food raw materials. At that time, the Mississippi River, which accounts for 60% of U.S. grain exports, saw its water levels drop due to drought, leading to skyrocketing prices for wheat and corn. Shipping costs for U.S. grains also increased, and climate change cast a shadow over prospects for food ingredient prices.
From the perspective of the companies, the expense of importing food has continued to rise. A Food and Drug Safety Agency official noted that "there was a situation where importing companies asked for rapid inspections and clearances to ensure timely supply of imported raw materials and to reduce clearance expenses."
In the case of food subject to document inspection, the process previously took a maximum of two days, including inspector confirmation, approver verification, and acceptance of the report. Inspectors had to confirm hundreds of questions individually.
At that time, there was not even a legal basis for automatic reporting and inspection. After the provisions were established in the food import law in June 2023, the Food and Drug Safety Agency started operating the electronic examination 24 system in September. This system automatically inspects and accepts over 200 document inspection items using algorithms, reducing the inspection period to five minutes.
A representative from the Food and Drug Safety Agency stated that they have made efforts to quickly increase the number of electronic inspection targets by incorporating industry feedback on effective operation of the system while ensuring that the benefits are felt on the ground. They mentioned that cooperation between departments was also actively pursued to minimize clearance and inspection time.
From June to December last year, a pilot project was conducted with the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency to ensure that some imported agricultural products could complete quarantine on the day of receipt. Among imported plants that had completed documentation quarantine, applications made by morning could complete quarantine on the same day, provided they were from countries that have electronic quarantine certification.
According to the Food and Drug Safety Agency's research, 95% (258 out of 273) of operators who experienced automatic reporting and acceptance through electronic inspection positively evaluated it as helpful for their import work. They cited advantages such as shortened processing times for import reports, processing during off-hours including nights and holidays, and cost savings in logistics due to faster clearances.
A representative from the Food and Drug Safety Agency noted that "there have been cases where one-time warehouse expenses were reduced from 30,000 won to 2 million won." They added, "To focus on maintaining and operating the system stably, we secured an information budget of 1.4 billion won this year," and emphasized their commitment to reducing clearance expenses and enhancing the satisfaction of both the industry and the public by ensuring timely access to fresh food.