WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/KOR/361 
10 May 2010  
 (10-2637) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  REPUBLIC OF KOREA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Korea Food and Drug Administration 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(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:  Korean  Number of pages:  248   
6. Description of content:  The proposed regulation establishes and revises compositional 
specifications for six food additives. 
(1) Specifications for lead, and E. coli  are strengthened or established in the following 
six items:  Lipase, α-Amylase, Casein, Protease, Spice Oleoresins, Phospholipase. 
(2) Specification for residual solvent (i.e. isopropyl alcohol) in Spice Oleoresins is 
strengthened. 
Standards for use are revised in 35 food additives. 
(1) Standards for combined use of preservatives are revised in the following nine items: 
Sorbic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Calcium Sorbate, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, 
Potassium Benzoate, Calcium Benzoate, Ethyl ρ-Hydroxybenzoate, Methyl 
ρ-Hydroxybenzoate. 
(2) Standards for use are revised in the follo wing 26 items:  Sucralose, Aspartame, 
Acesulfame Potassium, Sodium Saccharin, Butylated Hydroxy Toluene, Butylated 
Hydroxyl Anisole, tert-Butylhydroquinone, Erythorbic Acid, Sodium Erythorbate, Potassium Metabisulfite, Sulfur Dioxide, S odium Bisulfite, Sodium Sulfite, Sodium 
Hydrosulfite, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Nitrate, Potassium Nitrate, Chlorine Dioxide, Sodium Hydrochlorite, Ozone Wate r, Hydrochlorous Acid Water, Calcium 
Hypochlorite, Hexane, Steviol Glycoside, Enzymatically Modified Stevia, Ferrous 
Gluconate. G/SPS/N/KOR/361 
Page 2  
 
  Compositional specifications are consolidated as the following 12 items are revised into 
five:  Lipase/Esterase and Lipase → Lipase;  Rennet Casein and Casein → Casein;  
Oleoresin Capsicum and Spice Oleoresin → Spice Oleoresin;  α-Amylase (non-bacterial) 
and α-Amylase (bacterial) → α-Amylase;  Protease (fungal, SAP), Protease (fungal, HUT), 
Protease (bacterial) and Plant Protease → Protease. 
Citric acid which is an active ingredient for di sinfectants used on the surface of utensil that 
comes into contact with food, and α-Acetolactate Decarboxylase are authorized. 
Trisodium Glycyrrhizinate, Vitamin B1 Naphthalene-2,6-disulfonate, Vitamin B1 
Phenolphthalinate, Bleaching Po wder, Defatted Ricebran Extract, and Dehydroacetic Acid 
are banned for use.  
Definition of Polyisobutylene is revised. 
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 stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number 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 Korea 
Food and Drug Administration Advance Notic e No. 2010-102, 21 April 2010 (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    G/SPS/N/KOR/361 
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  12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  21 June 2010 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
International Trade & Statistics Office 
Korea Food and Drug Administration #194 Tongilro, Eunpyeong-gu Seoul, 122-704 Korea Tel:  +(82 2) 380 1661 
Fax:  +(82 2) 356 2893 
E-mail:  wtokfda@korea.kr 
13. Texts available from:  [ ] National Notification  Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:    
Documents are available from the Korea Food and Drug Administration website at 
http://www.kfda.go.kr .  Also available from:   
International Trade & Statistics Office 
Korea Food and Drug Administration 
#194 Tongilro, Eunpyeong-gu Seoul, 122-704 Korea Tel:  +(82 2) 380 1661 Fax:  +(82 2) 356 2893 
E-mail:  wtokfda@korea.kr