G/SPS/N/KOR/467  
 
10 January 2014  
(14-0079)  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; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Health/Functional Foods 
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 Health Functional Foods  Language(s): Korean  Number of pages: 
75. 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2014/SPS/KOR/14_0073_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content: The proposed amendment seeks to: 
1. Clarify the application of standards and specifications by: 
  - Including capsule base to be subject to standards and specifications tests for erectile 
dysfunction medication and other similar substances; 
  - Amending the term 'recommended intake' to 'recommended intake or adequate 
intake. 
2. Establish standards and specifications for the following functional ingredients:   - Hyaluronic acid, Rhodiola rosea extract, Bilberry extract and Garlic. 
3. Add health claims in standards and specifications for the following functional 
ingredients: 
  - Green tea extracts (improving blood cholesterol level), Phosphatidylserine 
(maintaining moisturized and healthy skin against ultraviolet rays), Chitosan/ 
Chitooligosaccaride(reducing body fat). 
4. Amend the test methods of:   - Beta carotene, Vitamin B1, Fatty acid, Phytosterol and Free phytosterol. 
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.  
8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex G/SPS/N/KOR/467 
 
- 2 - 
 
  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: 
Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Advance Notice No. 2013-188, 30 December 2013 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) : 11 March 2014 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] 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, Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do 
363-700, Korea 
Tel: +(82 43) 719 1559 Fax: +(82 43) 719 1550 
E-mail: wtokfda@korea.kr  
13. Texts available from: [ ] National Notifi cation Authority, [ ] National Enquiry 
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, Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do 363-700, Korea 
Tel: +(82 43) 719 1559 
Fax: +(82 43) 719 1550 E-mail: wtokfda@korea.kr