South Korea launches public consultation on food standards for alternative protein products

Although the alternative protein sector as been increasingly well-received in the Asia Pacific region, many markets currently still govern this as a ‘novel food’. But as its popularity has continued to grow and it has become increasingly apparent that the sector is not going away any time soon, governments are now looking to gain tighter control from a legislative standpoint. South Korea has become the latest to look into establishing specific food standards to govern the food safety and quality characteristics of products made using alternative proteins, and recently the local Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) announced that it would be launching a public consultation to gather public opinions from industry and consumers alike towards to crafting of these standards. “There have been demands from the food industry and consumer groups in South Korea to establish separate standards [for alternative protein products], which would help to ensure that regulation can be done more ...