June 10, 2026
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has announced amendments to the Standards and Specifications for Food Utensils, Containers, and Packaging, tightening safety rules on plastic materials while expanding the approved use of recycled plastics for food-contact products.
The revision, issued as MFDS Notification No. 2026-24, aims to improve regulatory consistency, strengthen chemical safety controls, and support environmentally sustainable materials without compromising consumer health.
The amended regulation took effect on March 27, 2026, following public consultation and expert review. While most provisions entered into force immediately, the MFDS introduced a one-year grace period for certain technical specifications related to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products. According to the notice, the detailed specifications addressing the prohibition of di 2 ethylhexyl adipate (DEHA) in PVC wrap and di 2 ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) in PVC materials will be fully enforced starting March 27, 2027.
The revised regulation reaffirms a blanket ban on DEHP, a phthalate linked to endocrine disruption, under the common manufacturing standards for food utensils, containers and packaging. It also explicitly prohibits DEHA — a plasticizer commonly associated with cling films — in plastic wrap products intended for food contact.
Alongside tighter chemical controls, the ministry moved to support sustainability by introducing new approval criteria for recycled polypropylene (PP). Under the revised standards, recycled PP may be used in food-contact applications if the material originates from sources not exposed to non-food contamination during consumer use or disposal.
The amendment also reorganizes regulatory provisions, introduces new definitions, and standardizes terminology across the regulatory text to improve interpretability for manufacturers, testing laboratories and enforcement authorities.
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