Date of Issue: 29 July 2016
Date of Effect: Immediate
Attention:
Industries - Export Establishments, Industry bodies
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources - Central and Regional offices, ATMs and FOMs, OPVs and Meat inspection staff, State Regulatory Authorities
Affected Markets: Various
Further information: Please contact Exports if you have queries.
This market access advice (MAA) updates MAA201606 issued on 18 April 2016, on the Republic of Korea’s (Korea) Special Act on Imported Food Safety Management (the Act). The following advice includes:
- notification of revised certification requirements for livestock products (example: dairy and meat) from 4 August 2016
- reminder for Australian food facilities exporting food products to Korea to complete the online registration process before 4 August 2016
- update on the inspection requirements for Australian food facilities.
Revised certification process for livestock products
Consignments of livestock products (refer definition of category 1 and 2 products in MAA 201606) exported to Korea on or after 4 August 2016, must be accompanied by the original and duplicate export certificate issued by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources. To facilitate clearance of consignments at the port of entry, the original certificate must be provided to Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), whilst the duplicate must be provided to Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).
When Australian export certification is issued, exporters are provided with an original, duplicate and triplicate Australian export certificate. From 4 August 2016, the duplicate copy usually retained by the exporter or importer must be presented to Korean authorities at the port of entry. The department recommends exporters retain a scanned copy or photocopy of the certificate for their records.
This arrangement is a temporary measure to avoid trade disruption following the implementation of the Act’s requirements on 4 August 2016. The department is currently working with Korean officials to develop an alternative process to address new documentation requirements for this market.
Should further information be required regarding certification arrangements or exporters encounter any issues, please contact the department at Food Export Documentation.
On-line registration of food establishments
All Australian food establishments/facilities which are involved in the production of ‘food products’ intended to be exported to Korea, are reminded to complete the on-line registration process by 4 August 2016. Further information regarding this registration process and Korea’s definition of ‘food products’ is available in MAA201606: Special Act on Imported Food Safety Management – new food safety requirements for exported Australian agricultural products.
If unsure about this registration process, establishments are encouraged to work closely with their importers to ensure their facility has been correctly registered in accordance with the Act.
Please note, the registration of establishments producing livestock products, will be managed separately by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
Inspection of foreign food facilities by Korean authorities
It was brought to the department’s attention that Korea’s Institute for Food Safety Management Accreditation (KIFSMA) recently wrote directly to a select number of Australian establishments producing ‘food products’ for export to Korea, requesting establishments to accommodate an on-site inspection by KIFSMA officials in August 2016. KIFSMA is the Korean agency that has been authorised by MFDS to undertake inspection and food safety system verification activities under the Act.
The department was not advised of the inspection process or notified that these invitations had been sent to Australian food processing facilities. The department is now seeking further guidance from KIFSMA in relation to the purpose of these visits and how they will be conducted. In the interim to receiving further advice from Korea, the department has requested that no disciplinary action is to be taken on establishments that have not responded to KIFSMA’s invitation.
All Australian establishments that have received a notification of food facility inspection from KIFSMA are encouraged to contact the department at Exports.
Please note, the auditing and inspection of establishments producing livestock products, if required, will be managed separately by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
The information provided above is current at the time of writing and is intended for use as guidance only and should not be taken as definitive or exhaustive. The Commonwealth endeavours to keep information current and accurate, however, it may be subject to change without notice. Exporters are encouraged to verify these details with their importers prior to undertaking production/exports. The Commonwealth will not accept liability for any loss resulting from reliance on information contained in this notice.