2025 Food and Drug Safety Administration’s Key Policy Plans: The food authorities will enhance the monitoring system for ‘overseas direct purchase (direct purchase) foods’.
The Food and Drug Safety Administration (FDA) announced on the 21st its “2025 Key Policy Plans” and stated that it will strengthen the monitoring of online illegal distribution and sales of foods and drugs. To monitor the extensive online market, the FDA will introduce AI technology. From this month until June, the “Online Illegal Food and Drug Distribution Monitoring System (AI Cops)” will be piloted. AI Cops will swiftly detect and block illegal products and monitor illegal activities in personal transactions on overseas shopping malls and SNS (social networking services). Not only food but also illegal advertisements for narcotics will be included in the monitoring targets.
This year, the number of inspections for overseas direct-purchase foods that pose safety risks will be expanded to 6,000, twice last year’s number. The focus will be on planned inspections and collection tests of foods and cosmetics sold online, and efforts will be made to eradicate illegal distribution of overseas direct-purchased foods and drugs through amendments to relevant laws. Park Young-min, head of the FDA’s Cyber Investigation Team, stated, “We have improved the functions to inspect sales methods aimed at evading detection.”
The criteria for hangover cure labeling and the conditions for the operation and management of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) will also be strengthened. From this month, only foods that have scientific data through human application tests can claim to relieve hangovers under the “Hangover Relief Demonstration System.” There was an incident last year where kimchi infected with Norovirus was supplied to school cafeterias, resulting in 856 cases of illness; HACCP management will be strengthened to prevent such incidents.
The FDA will introduce a system to reduce ‘blind spots’ in food safety. There are plans to expand the target foods for Food QR information provision and develop about 200 related sign language videos. Moreover, there will be a push to mandate usage guidance for medical devices like insulin pumps that require caution for personal use. The mandatory display of nutritional information at franchise restaurants with 50 or more locations will also be pursued. A Food Safety Management Law will be established to enable integrated management and support of meal facilities.
Improving food and drug administrative services using AI technology is also included as a major policy for this year. A generative AI-based consultation service (tentatively called Food Agent) that can provide consultations on food labeling, standards, specifications, and business compliance 24/7 will be operated. “AI Kosbot,” which provides domestic and international cosmetic regulatory information, will be piloted from this month. An electronic test report issuance system (eDATA-CERT) will be introduced in October this year.
Additionally, AI will be introduced to analyze on-site inspection and customs clearance data to select overseas manufacturers and imported foods with high-risk concerns. An AI-based model for determining the species and freshness of imported aquatic products (fish) will be developed and piloted at inspection sites. From 2027, the AI quality review of active pharmaceutical ingredients will be applied in stages based on specific areas, and R&D will be conducted to establish an AI review system for finished drug product licensing.