G/SPS/N/KOR/703  
 
14 December 2020  
(20-8973) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  REPUBLIC OF KOREA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Food and Drug Safety  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Food additives  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Proposed amendments to the Standards and 
Specifications for Food Additives . Language(s):  Korean . Number of pages:  31 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/KOR/20_7586_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The Republic of Korea is proposing to amend the "Standards 
and Specifications for the Food Additives".  
1) The provision for the natural occurrence of benzoic acid is newly established.  
Benzoic acid detected below 0.02 g/kg in food except the ingredients of a nimal origin 
can be considered as natural occurrence . 
* The amounts already recognized as natural occurrence by the MFDS can be applied for the 
judgement of natural occurrence.  
2) The use level of the following six food additives is revised:  
Sorbic acid, Calc ium sorbate, Potassium sorbate, Ethyl acetate, Isopropyl alcohol, 
nisin. 
3) The general use level of sterilizing agent and food -contact surface sanitizing solutions 
is revised.  
4) The analytical methods for the following eight food additives are revised:  
(Food a dditives) Calcium phosphate Tribasic, Disodium 5' -Inosinate, Disodium 5' -
Ribonucleotide, Ferrous Fumarate, Oleoresin Paprika, Sodium Molybdate, Spice 
Oleoresins, Yeast.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   G/SPS/N/KOR/703  
 
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  8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial num ber of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Advance Notice No. 2020 -535, 4 December 2020  
(available in Korean)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 12 February 2021  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
International Cooperation Office  
Ministry of Food and Drug Safety  
#187 Osongsaengmyeong2 -ro, Osong -eup, Heungdoek -gu, Cheongju -si 
Chungcheongbuk -do, 363 -700, Korea  
Tel: +(82 43) 719 1569  
Fax: +(82 43) 719 1550  
E-mail: intmfds@korea.kr  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National E nquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
Documents are available from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety website at 
http://www.mfds.go.kr . 
 
Also available from:  
International Cooperation Office  
Ministry of Food and Drug Safety  
#187 Osongsaengmyeong2 -ro, Osong -eup, Heungdoek -gu, Cheongju -si 
Chungcheongbuk -do, 363 -700, Korea  
Tel: +(82 43) 719 1554  
Fax: +(82 43) 719 1550  
E-mail: intmfds@korea.kr