January 2, 2020

South Korea's poultry food safety regulations in line with US standards

The findings comes after the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on-site equivalence verification audit, reported Food Safety News.

According to the audit report, the audit's purpose was to examine the chicken products food safety inspection system for South Korea, and whether it is similar to the US.

In addition, the audit determined if South Korea's capability for product export is labelled and packaged correctly, and products are certified safe, wholesome and unadulterated in accordance to US food safety system practices.

South Korea currently exports the following chicken products to the US: Thermally processed/commercially stable chicken products, ready to eat (RTE) fully cooked chicken products and RTE fully cooked without subsequent exposure to the environment.

However, FSIS inspectors found that handwashing sinks were not placed within accessible reach at all three chicken slaughter facilities that were subjected to the audit. To place suspect chickens on re-inspection racks, the government inspectors were forced to leave the inspection station.

A total of four processing establishments, three chicken slaughter facilities and two laboratories were the subject of FSIS on-site audits in South Korea, which also included South Korea's food safety headquarters in Seoul and regional offices in Honam and Incheon.

Officials from South Korea have promised to address FSIS findings, with FSIS planning to evaluate South Korea's responses in a future equivalency verification audit.

-      Food Safety News