CIRS Group Korea will take part in the 2026 Alternative Food Industry Expert Training Program (Cell-Cultured Food) run by the World Food Tech Council, delivering a session on the regulatory status and practice for novel food ingredients in overseas markets.

South Korea’s Amendment No. 21948 to the Special Act on Imported Food Safety Management takes effect March 16, 2027. It mandates the revocation of overseas facility registrations extended through fraudulent means and switches the distribution traceability threshold for imported health functional foods from domestic sales amount to customs import value.

On September 1, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) of 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.

On July 8, 2026, South Korea’s MFDS expanded mandatory GM food labeling to include products like soy sauce, sugars, and edible oils made with GM ingredients, even if no GM DNA or protein remains. After industry discussions and a WTO notification, labeling takes effect December 31, 2026, with sugars and oils delayed until December 31, 2027.

CIRS Group will host the “2026 Global Food Regulations Annual Forum” in Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo in June 2026. This conference will bring together leading experts from China, the US, Europe, Japan and South Korea to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest global regulatory developments.

D-allulose, as a novel and ideal sugar substitute product, has excellent market application potential in the food industry and is a hot topic of attention both domestically and internationally. China first approved D-allulose as a new food ingredient in 2025. However, the application requirements for D-allulose in Japan and South Korea differ from those in China. In Japan and South Korea, it only needs to complete the enzyme preparation application to be marketed, without requiring a marketing authorization. CIRS Group will provide you with a detailed overview of the regulatory compliance requirements and current approval status of D-allulose in Japan and South Korea.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (Minister Oh Yoo-kyung) announced on June 18 that it will make an administrative announcement of the revised "Standards for Temporary Standards and Specifications for Foods, etc.", which includes contents such as easing submission requirements when applying for temporary standard/specification recognition of new food additives. The updated food additive regulations aim to streamline toxicity data requirements and approval procedures by recognizing international safety assessments and introducing phased testing and expedited modification pathways – reducing costs and aligning with global standards. Opinions on the revised (draft) can be submitted until August 18, 2025.

In recent years, with the rapid improvement of social medical level and the living standard, Chinese consumers are paying close attention to health. Besides, the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic since the beginning of 2020 has made everyone become more aware of the importance of health and the pursuit of health has become more urgent. Therefore, health food with specific health functions and/or could regulate body functions have gradually become the focus of consumers.