Thai Ice Cream and Chinese Insect Processed Foods Must Confirm Safety for Import Declaration Approval

MFDS Issues 'Inspection Order' for Thai Frozen Desserts and Chinese Insect-Processed Foods

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is strengthening safety inspections on Thai ice cream products and Chinese insect-processed foods.

On the 27th, the MFDS announced that it will implement a "testing order" starting today, which requires importers and sellers of Thai ice cream products and Chinese insect-processed foods to verify safety in advance before filing import declarations domestically.

A testing order is a system under the "Special Act on Imported Food Safety Management" that selects imported foods with repeated detection of harmful substances or non-compliance, requiring importers to undergo detailed inspections at institutions designated by the MFDS Commissioner, and only allowing import declarations if the products pass the inspection.

Accordingly, Thai ice cream products must verify safety regarding coliform bacteria, and Chinese insect-processed foods must verify safety for acid value, peroxide value, and coliform bacteria in advance. The insect-processed foods subject to this inspection are products using edible silkworm pupae as raw materials.

To import and sell Thai ice cream products and Chinese insect-processed foods, importers must submit the products for testing at food specialized testing and inspection institutions designated by the MFDS Commissioner and submit the test report to the relevant local food and drug safety office when filing import declarations.

Meanwhile, testing orders are currently also in operation for 17 items including Chinese flavored oils and natural spices from India and Pakistan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.