Anlmal,Plant and Flsherles Quarantine and Inspection Agency

LEGAL GROUNDS

• Article 16 of the Food Sanitation Act and Article 11 of Enforcement Regulations of the Act (Import Declaration for Foods)
• Related to Article 11 of the Enforcement Regulations of the aforementioned Act <Appendix 6>

TARGET OF INSPECTION(DECLARATION)

• Aquatic animals and plants: Live fish or shellfish, crustaceans, and other forms of aquatic animals, fresh and frozen products, or seaweeds(for puffers, see <Appendix 1>)
• Simply processed products: aquatic animals and plants processed in a manner such as cutting, heating, boiling, drying, salting, and brining with only salt
• Products Excepted for Declaration
  • - Imported by foreign embassies, legations, consulates, or other corresponding institutions in Korea or imported by the public officials(or their families) belonging to the aforementioned institutions for the purpose of their own consumption
  • - Carried by travelers; may be acceptable for their own consumption
  • - Imported as specimens and promotions free of charge and indicated their use on the labels
  • - Frozen or processed at a Korean vessel after catching or gathering the aquatic animals in cooperation with foreign one in the economic sea zone of the state of the foreign ship
  • - Used by a central government or a local government
  • - Permitted the use on a vessel or a airplane by the head of Korean Customs under Article 239 of the Korean Customs Law
  • - Recognized by the head of the Korean Food and Drug Administration as a non-hygienic risk product

INSPECTION TYPES

STEP.1 Document Inspection

Document inspection is to evaluate the submitted documents whether to meet the import regulations and is covered the followings

① Imported in order to re-export, manufacture, and study, used by central or local governments, expos, exhibitions, or returned exported products regardless of the hygienic risks

② Recognized products by the head of the Korea Food and Drug Administration as a security assured product

STEP.2 Organoleptic inspection

Sensory Inspection is to evaluate qualities, labels, net weights, and etc of the fish and fishery products by visually examining, smelling or touching the lot of the imported products and is covered the followings

① Imported the relevant product of a company has been passed the precision inspection

② Recognized to need a sensory inspection by the chief of a branch as sensory inspections

• - Verification of fish species such as yellow croaker, yellow corvenia, and etc. or processed types
• - Freshness or net weights
• - Confirmation on containing foreign substances or food additive

STEP.3 Precise Inspection

Inspection is to evaluate the products by physical, chemical or microbiological methods in a laboratory and is covered the followings

① Imported for the first time or has a rejected history

② Reported as the product contained hazards in Korea and other countries

③ Not confirmed the reason that a exported product has been returned

QUALIFICATION OF DECLARERS

• In case one wishes to import products for the purpose of selling: Persons who have completed the Business Registration for Foods, etc., Import, and Selling Business as per Article 21 of the Food Sanitation Law and Sub-item 8, Item Na, Clause ,5 Article 7 of the Enforcement Regulation of the same law
• In case one wishes to use imported items for business (food manufacturers or processors, food additives producers, or food containers or package producers): Persons who can prove that they use the imported items specified in the import declaration