The full labeling system for genetically modified agricultural products (GMO) will take effect in Dec. next year. The GMO full labeling system requires labeling even if no GMO ingredient remains in the final product after manufacturing and processing. The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety (hereinafter the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety) will push ahead with linking halal certification, responding to K-food export regulations, and advancing AI-based food safety management as key policy tasks alongside the rollout of the GMO full labeling system next year.
Oh Yu-Kyoung, Minister of the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety, said at a presidential policy briefing held at the Government Sejong Convention on the 16th regarding the GMO full labeling system, "The bill has passed, and we are currently listening to opinions from consumers and industry. After an administrative notice in Feb. next year, we will announce the revised GMO-related rules in Aug., hold briefings in the second half, and implement them in Dec."
When the full labeling system is implemented, the use of GMO ingredients alone will trigger labeling. Even if no GMO component remains in the final product, such as doenjang and ganjang brewed with GMO soybeans, using GMO soybeans as a raw material must follow the "GMO full labeling system." Until now, the labeling obligation applied only when GMO components were detected in the final product.
When President Lee Jae-myung noted in the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety's policy briefing, "If agricultural products are excessively large or of excessively high quality, it is worth questioning at least once," the Minister said, "It can be verified through genetic analysis and next-generation sequencing. It can be sufficiently validated scientifically."
The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety says it will consider the food industry's raw material sourcing burdens, price impacts, and the potential for trade friction with major GMO agricultural exporters during the rollout of the GMO full labeling system. To that end, it will also operate the "GMO labeling enhancement working council," involving consumer groups and industry. It plans to pursue social consensus on the items subject to labeling and the grace period, and to review applying differentiated grace periods by item.
The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety also appears set to focus on a strategy to nurture K-food into a "regulation-responsive global brand," not just an export item, through halal certification support and responses to export restrictions. K-food exports have grown quickly on the back of the Korean Wave, but have drawn criticism for limits such as concentration in certain countries or items due to inadequate responses to country-specific food regulations and certifications.
Accordingly, the Minister said in the policy briefing, "We will provide regulatory information from importing countries and expand inter-agency cooperation so that K-food and K-beauty can overcome non-tariff barriers and advance into global markets," adding, "We will raise our standards to global standards, giving the public peace of mind and adding strength to growth."
A representative measure is to organize and provide food regulation and certification systems required by major markets such as the Middle East and Islamic regions, Southeast Asia, and North America and Europe. The strategy is to preemptively reduce risks related to labeling, ingredients, and processes that repeatedly cause problems during exports and build a sustainable export structure.
In particular, support for halal certification to target Middle Eastern and Islamic markets will be ramped up. The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety plans to establish a cooperative audit system between the HACCP certification body and overseas halal certification bodies to link domestic certification with overseas halal certification, reducing the expense and time burdens on domestic food companies that had to obtain overseas certifications individually.
Plans also call for promoting innovation in food and drug administration using AI. The Minister said, "We will use AI to detect illegal online advertisements for foods and medicines and precisely block imported foods with safety concerns," adding, "We will also improve the accuracy of detecting foreign matter in meat."