Oh Yu-kyung, MFDS Commissioner, "This Year’s Regulatory Innovation Focuses on 'Small Business, People, Future, Digital'"

30th, Oh Yu-kyung, MFDS Commissioner, 2nd Anniversary Press Conference
"2022 Regulatory Innovation 1.0 Started, Currently 180 Tasks Identified... 85% Progress Rate
This Year 'Regulatory Innovation 3.0 Promotion'"

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has identified a total of 80 tasks for improvement across four areas?'citizens, small business owners, future, and digital'?through this year's 'Food and Drug Regulatory Innovation 3.0'.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 30th, at a press conference held at a restaurant in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Oh Yu-kyung, the head of MFDS, said, "The core of this year's Food and Drug Regulatory Innovation 3.0 lies in addressing the difficulties of small business owners and inconveniences faced by citizens, preparing for the future, and advancing administration through digitalization," emphasizing these four points.

Since her inauguration in May 2022, Director Oh has focused on discovering and resolving food and drug regulatory innovation tasks through two phases, starting with Regulatory Innovation 1.0.

In Regulatory Innovation 1.0, announced in August 2022, 100 major tasks were selected across four areas: support for new industries (19 tasks), alleviation of public inconvenience burdens (45 tasks), international harmonization (13 tasks), and procedural regulatory relief (23 tasks). So far, 88% of these have been implemented.

The second phase, Regulatory Innovation 2.0, announced in June last year, focused on tasks proposed directly by stakeholders in the field. It selected 80 tasks across five areas: digital safety management innovation (13 tasks), enhancement of consumer and small business owner benefits (19 tasks), support for future industries (16 tasks), global regulatory harmonization and support (17 tasks), and rectification of unreasonable regulations (15 tasks), with an 81% implementation rate.

Among the major achievements, representative digital safety management innovations include improving safety management efficiency using artificial intelligence (AI) and mobile technologies, and introducing Food QR labeling to provide consumers with information on food origin, ingredients, and cooking methods. Additionally, the introduction of automated cooking vending machines such as robot coffee and cotton candy vending machines has opened new business opportunities. Another key regulatory innovation is specifying consumption dates instead of expiration dates to more clearly indicate the safe consumption period of food products.

Director Oh stated, "Since starting Regulatory Innovation 1.0 in 2022, we have identified 180 tasks and achieved an 85% implementation rate. Especially this year, we plan to promote Regulatory Innovation 3.0 to resolve citizens' inconveniences and the difficulties faced by small business owners from the public's perspective."

The MFDS plans to announce 'Food and Drug Regulatory Innovation 3.0' on the 2nd of next month under the theme of 'Regulatory Innovation Based on Field and Science.'

During the press conference, questions were raised about hazardous foods recently brought into the country through overseas direct purchases, such as drug-containing jelly. Director Oh said, "We are working with the Korea Customs Service to block these at the source," and urged people to check related information on the 'Overseas Direct Purchase Food Olbaro' website, which provides guidance on overseas direct purchase foods. She added, "It is practically difficult to block every new harmful food item one by one," and requested, "Please purchase safe products that have undergone official import inspections by the MFDS whenever possible."

Regarding the most rewarding policy achievement on the occasion of her 2nd anniversary in office, she cited hosting the '1st Asia-Pacific Food Regulatory Authorities Summit' (AFRAS), which involved food regulatory heads from seven countries last year.

Director Oh said, "Although the MFDS has participated in existing international forums, I was skeptical about how many regulatory heads would come if Korea took the lead and invited them. Last year, seven countries attended, and at the 2nd AFRAS meeting scheduled for May this year, additional countries including Chile will participate, bringing the total to 10 countries."

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