Asia-Pacific region takes first step towards global food regulatory cooperation
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) in South Korea recently hosted the 1st Asia-Pacific Food Regulatory Authority Summit (APFRAS) to discuss regulatory harmonisation and establishment of an international coordination system for the food sector among countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony was held with Australia and New Zealand, which have active food trade with Korea, as part of the programme to promote and strengthen cooperation in the field of food safety.
A ‘Cooperative Arrangement on the Use of Electronic Certification for Trade in Agriculture, Livestock products, Food and Fisheries Products’ with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) of New Zealand was also signed to strengthen cooperation on the transition to electronic certificates for imported and exported foods and to share imported food safety information.
MFDS expects that the establishment of the APFRAS will expand opportunities to resolve non-tariff barriers between countries and serve as a springboard for Korea’s food standards to become global standards by promoting regulatory harmonisation in the food sector under the leadership of Korea.
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