In the Republic of Korea, all processed food with genetically modified organisms (GMO) will be required a GMO mark regardless of the amount. The Korea Food and Drug Administration recently notified the new rules on GMO indication standards. According to the new rules, all processed food products including soy sauce, soy oil, icecream products and drinks will be required to indicate their GMO contents. If the products contain any remaining GMO ingredients, a mark will be required.

Source: www.english.kbs.co.kr

China’s top legislature re-examined a draft law on food safety, which sets strict food quality standards and demands greater government responsibility. The draft underwent a revision after the recent contaminated dairy products scandal. It bans all chemicals and materials except authorized additives in food production. Health authorities are responsible for assessing and approving food additives and setting their usage. The draft requires health agencies to conduct inspections and assessments of problematic food products as soon as they receive complaints. It also requires a quick and transparent reporting system, making it mandatory for enterprises, hospitals and quality supervision agencies to immediately report all food safety incidents to the authorities.

Food producers must strictly stick to the food additives and their usage approved by authorities, on penalty of closure, or revocation of production licenses in serious cases, according to the draft law. Food safety supervision authorities are prohibited from issuing inspection exemptions to food producers.

The draft asks health authorities to write and issue “scientific, safe and reliable” food safety standards, which are compulsory for all food producers, to ensure public health. The standards would combine the current standards for edible agricultural products, food hygiene, food quality and other relative standards in the food industry. The draft law directs health authorities to refer to international standards and listen to opinions of food producers and consumers when writing the standards.

Source: www.news.rednet.cn

Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) will henceforth test all imported edible oils for standards and issuance of Conformity Assessment Report (CAR) before marketing of the product in the country. Following the objection from PSQCA, the Collector of Customs, Model Customs Collectorate Preventive (MCCP), Karachi, has decided “to dispense with referring the cases to Provincial Health Departments (PHDs)”, as PHDs do not have the capacity and the legal mandate to undertake such responsibility.

Henceforth, the data of all imports of edible oils shall be communicated to PSQCA, on weekly basis, so that they could monitor the imports at refining/processing and packaging stages for standard and quality check. The chemical analysis of these products at import stage shall continue to be done by the Customs House laboratory. No one will be allowed to produce, package or sell food items without PSQCA approval. Import of food grade palm oil by non-manufacturers will not be allowed, and PSQCA will be given powers to seal premises of non-compliant manufacturers.

Source: www.pakwatan.com

In India, labels of packaged foods must henceforth compulsorily list nutritional facts per 100 gm or 100 ml or per serving. This has been spelt out by the new Prevention of Food Adulteration (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2008. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which issued the notification on 19 September 2008, has given the industry six months to put the norms in place. So far, listing of nutritional profile on food product labels has been voluntary.

The new rules stipulate that all ingredients in a packed product must be listed in a descending order in terms of both weight and volume. Significantly, the list must also include the nutritional profile of a product such as: its energy value in kcal; the amount of protein, carbohydrates, sugar and fat in grams; and other vitamins and minerals in metric units.

The rules also lay down that a fruit juice, squash or beverage that does not contain a specified amount of fruit juice or pulp cannot be described as a fruit product. So, an item that is not a true fruit product can no longer pass off as one. The new rules mandate that foods using hydrogenated fats or bakery shortenings must specifically declare so on the label and also mention that they contain transfat.

Nutritional information, however, is not necessary in the case of raw agricultural commodities such as: wheat, rice and spices; non-nutritive products such as soluble tea, coffee and packaged drinking water; fruits; vegetables; and single-ingredient products. Foods served for immediate consumption at hotels, hospitals, and by vendors and confectioneries, are also exempt.

Source : www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

In the Philippines, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) has assured the public of tighter monitoring of imported food products to prevent the entry of contaminated food in the country. “We will not allow the release of any contaminated goods,” Mr. Napoleon Morales, Customs Commissioner, said. The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) has been conducting tests on imported food products, mainly from China, including several brands of canned meat, for the presence of toxic materials.

Imported foods need to be covered by certificates of registration as well as certification from the Bureau of Animal Industry. “The NMIS would not issue a certificate of product registration if they are not sure that it is safe and fit for human consumption,” Mr. Morales said. Other imported food items will have to be checked by agencies such as the Bureau of Food and Drugs.

Source: www.newsinfo.inquirer.net