Korea's 'Organic Processed Food' Certification Recognized in Canada Too

Korea-Canada Agreement on Recognition of Equivalence for Organic Processed Foods Signed

Starting from the 1st of next month, our companies will be able to sell processed foods labeled as 'organic' in Canada by simply obtaining Korean organic processed food certification.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 31st that it has signed an equivalence recognition agreement on organic processed foods with Canada, which will take effect from November 1st.

The organic processed food equivalence agreement is a government-to-government pact in which both countries mutually recognize that the organic processed food certification of the other country is equivalent to their own, allowing the labeling and sale of organic processed foods from the other country without separate procedures.

An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs explained, "The contents of the agreement are similar to the equivalence recognition agreements previously signed with the United States and the European Union (EU). Specifically, the scope of equivalence recognition covers processed foods containing over 95% organic ingredients and certified organic according to each country's system, with final processing carried out in Korea and Canada respectively, enabling mutual trade without additional certification procedures."

According to the agreement, both countries prohibit the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO), pesticides, and other banned substances, and apply the importing country's regulations for residue testing and follow-up measures to manage products at the same level as domestic products.

An official from the Ministry added, "Through this agreement, domestic certification alone will allow the free use of not only the Korean logo but also the Canadian logo in Canada, which is expected to help domestic companies export organic processed foods to Canada."

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