G/TBT/N/KOR/537
14 November 2014 
(14-6651)  Page: 1/2
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English
 
  NOTIFICATION 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member: REPUBLIC OF KOREA 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):    
2. Agency responsible: Ministry of Food and Drug Safety 
Name and address (including telephon e and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above : 
Documents are available from the Ministry Food and Drug Safety website 
(http://www.mfds.go.kr ) 
 
Also available from: International Cooperation Office 
Ministry of Food and Drug Safety 
187 Osongsaengmyeong2-ro, Osong-eup Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si 
Chungcheongbuk-do, 363-700  
Republic of Korea   Tel: (+82) 43 719-1564 
Fax: (+82) 43-719-1550 
Email: wtokfda@korea.kr  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applic able, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Foods 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document: Proposed Revision 
of the Labelling Standards for Foods (51 pages, in Korean) 
6. Description of content: The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) will partly amend 
"Labelling Standards for Foods" in order to clarify existing provisions on the labelling 
methods of ingredients including the following:  
a) Clarify the allowable tolerance range for de clared caffeine content in high caffeine 
products; 
b) Add consumer warning statement on beercan label as "don't use directly on cooking 
appliances such as gas stoves"; 
c) Delete the mandatory labelling "not microwavable" on utensils, containers and 
packages made of polystyrene, melamine -formaldehyde resin, phenol-formaldehyde 
resin, urea-formaldehyde resin; 
d) Require the labelling "microwavable" if the utensils,containers and packages are 
made of synthetic resin appropriate with KS S5603:2007(Plastics food receptacles 
for microwave oven use) standard; 
e) Require the declaration of materials used in utensils, containers and packages made 
of rubber; 
f) Amend labelling regarding the term "MSG"; G/TBT/N/KOR/537 
 
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  g) Establish labelling standards on tank lorry for foods; 
h) Amend labelling method of alcoholic beverages (distilled spirits and whisky are not 
required to list the ingredients or raw materials used in their production on the 
product label); 
i) Improve labelling method of ingredients; 
j) Foods made from wheat, rye, barley or their crossbred varieties which have been 
specially processed to remove gluten, given that the gluten level does not exceed 
20mg/kg in total, may be labelled as "Gluten-Free"; 
k) Establish mandatory requirements of labelling the content of red pepper powder on 
primary display panel of 'Gochujang' (hot pepper paste); 
l) Prohibit the use of the term "water' as part of a beverage products" name which has 
similar characteristics as "drinkable water" (ex. Clear liquid, etc); 
m) Remove the mandatory labelling of colour index and activity for enzyme (food 
additive) 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
Providing easy and clear information to cons umers by improving labelling standards on 
food, which will promote public health, in dustry development and harmonization with 
relevant regulations. 
8. Relevant documents:  MFDS Notice No. 2014-340 (6 November 2014) 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   To be determined 
Proposed date of entry into force:   To be determined   
10. Final date for comments: 60 days after the date of notification 
11. Texts available from: Nati onal enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Division 
Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) 93, Isu-ro, Maengdong-myeon 
Eumseong-gun 
Chungcheongbuk-do Republic of Korea, 369-811 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2014/tbt/KOR/14_5073_00_x.pdf