[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) will implement a 'testing order system' starting from the 9th, requiring importers to prove the safety of imported probiotic products distributed domestically by overseas manufacturers that have had three or more non-compliance incidents in the past three years.
This testing order is a measure to hold importers responsible for safety management following repeated non-compliance incidents in imported probiotic products.
The inspection items include those with a high frequency of non-compliance: ▲probiotic content ▲disintegration (the degree to which solids such as capsules dissolve in water or gastric juice) ▲coliform bacteria.
Probiotic import and sales operators must request testing of the relevant products at a food-specialized testing institution designated by the MFDS within 20 days from the date of receiving the testing order, and then submit the test results (test report) to the local food and drug safety office.
The MFDS stated, "We plan to continuously expand the testing order system, which requires operators to prove safety themselves, to create an environment where high-quality imported food can be supplied."
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