South Korea's MFDS Revises the Enforcement Rules of the Food Sanitation Act, Significantly Increasing Official Fees for Temporary Recognition of Food Ingredients

On September 1, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) of South Korea announced revisions to the Enforcement Rules of the Food Sanitation Act. The revisions include significant adjustments to the application fees for the temporary recognition of food ingredients and safety reviews of genetically modified foods, attracting considerable attention from the food industry.

According to the revised requirements:

• Official fee for a new application for temporary recognition of a food ingredient: increased significantly from KRW 100,000 to KRW 3 million (approximately $74/€64 to $2,211/€1,905).
• Official fee for the safety review of genetically modified foods: increased from KRW 5 million to KRW 8.5 million. (approximately $3,684 /€3,174 to $6,264/€5,396)

CIRS Group's Korean subsidiary, CIRS KOREA, had already learned about the changes when attending an internal invitation meeting hosted by MFDS last week.

In fact, the adjustment to official fees affects a broader range of products, and the applicable fees vary significantly depending on the type of food ingredient or food additive. For clients who require further clarification, CIRS Group can analyze the ingredient category and manufacturing process to determine the specific applicable official fee.

MFDS stated that the purpose of increasing the fees is not simply to raise charges, but rather to strengthen review resources, expand review personnel, and make greater use of expert consultations, thereby providing applicants with faster and more professional review services.

Previously, limited review personnel and relatively low fee levels contributed to lengthy review timelines, making it difficult to meet the industry's growing demand for the safety assessment of novel food ingredients and genetically modified products. Following the adjustment, MFDS is expected to increase investment in review resources and leverage external experts to shorten review timelines and improve the quality of safety assessments.

CIRS Group believes that although the increase in application fees will significantly raise the cost of regulatory submissions, improvements in review efficiency and technical expertise may, in the long term, help accelerate the market entry of novel food ingredients and genetically modified foods, thereby providing positive support for technological innovation in the food industry.

Why Choose CIRS Group?

Established in 2007, CIRS Group has more than 450 employees and is headquartered in Hangzhou, China. With 11 subsidiaries across the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Korea, Japan, and other countries and regions, CIRS Group provides one-stop global regulatory registration and notification services for novel food ingredients, helping companies navigate market access requirements in South Korea efficiently and reliably.

Services Provided by CIRS Korea

• Temporary Recognition of Food Additives
• Temporary Recognition of Food Ingredients
• Individual Recognition of Functional Ingredients
• Health Functional Food Recognition
• Food and Pet Food Formula and Label Review

If you need any assistance or have any questions, please get in touch with us via service@cirs-group.com.