K-food to face lower non-tariff barriers: MFDS to work with 8 Latin American countries on food safety

[Financial News] The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is pursuing food safety cooperation to lower non-tariff barriers in Latin American markets.
According to the MFDS on the 7th, it will jointly run a domestic training program from the 26th through the 2nd of next month for 32 officials from food safety regulatory agencies in eight Latin American countries. The program is titled “Training Course in Korea to Strengthen Food Safety Management Capabilities for Imported and Exported Foods.”
The eight Latin American countries are Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru. Now in its fourth year, the training program is part of the “Project to Strengthen Food Safety Management Capabilities for Imported and Exported Foods in Latin America” (ODA). Official development assistance (ODA) refers to aid provided by governments or public institutions to promote economic development and social welfare in developing countries.
The training program was organized to share Korea’s food safety management systems and practical operating experience with officials from Latin American food safety regulatory agencies, strengthen their capacity to proactively manage the safety of imported food, and support the expansion of Korean food companies into Latin American markets.
During the training, participants will learn about Korea’s food safety management systems and policies, its imported food inspection system, the food safety management certification (HACCP) system and its future development, food standards and specifications, and safety management systems for agricultural, livestock and marine products.
In particular, an AI-based real-time interpretation service will be introduced to facilitate in-depth communication.
Participants will also visit the MFDS and the Korea Agency of HACCP Accreditation and Services to hear about key policies and systems and experience digital-based food safety management systems, including Smart HACCP.
A briefing on export support for eight Latin American countries will also be held on the 28th to help Korean food companies enter Latin American markets. The briefing will introduce K-food export strategies and support programs, and share key regulatory information from major Latin American countries, focusing on “Food Standards and Specifications.”
MFDS Minister Oh Yu-kyung said, “We will continue to communicate and cooperate with regulatory authorities in Latin America to strengthen safeguards for the proactive management of imported food and reduce the regulatory burdens our companies face in the export process.”
[email protected] Kim Seo-yeon Reporter