Q: I am a manufacturer of bottled sauces and I am looking into exporting my products to Japan and Korea. What standards and technical regulations do I have to comply with before my products can be exported to these markets?

A: Japan and Korea have different import requirements. For Japan, notification to the Quarantine Station of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) must be filed with accompanying documents on, for example, ingredients and additives used. Documentation inspection will then be carried out to see if it is necessary to do a random or full sampling test, according to the specifications and test methods specified in the Food Sanitation Law and Associated Specifications and Standards (Foods, Food Additives and Testing Methods).

Products have to comply with standards stipulated in the Food Sanitation Law under which the additives, labelling and composition of foods are regulated.

As bottled sauces are considered packed food products, microbiological and manufacturing standards apply.

Labelling is also a critical requirement before the products are allowed to be sold in the Japanese market. Nutrition information has to be presented according to the allowed format for these labels.

For food exports to Korea, you have to file an import notification to the Korea Food and Drugs Administration (KFDA).

The products must meet the requirements for food constituents according to the Food Code, which contains general standards and specifications for food products, as well as individual standards and specifications. It stipulates the standards for manufacturing or processing, storage and packaging, additives, maximum pesticide residue limits and others.

You should check which additives and how much can be added to the sauces under the Food Code. Each additive will have different permitted levels for different products.

Products also need to be labelled with the minimum basic information in Korean and follow the format for nutritional information, according to the Food Sanitation Act. There must also be no exaggerated advertising or false labelling.

The relevant laws and regulations are available at the Japan Trade Organisation (http://www.jetro.go.jp/en/reports/regulations/) and Korea Food and Drugs Administration (www.kfda.go.kr/index.html) websites.

Summarised versions of the technical regulations can also be obtained from the Spring Singapore Export Technical Assistance Centre Food Import Regulation and Standard Database website (www.spring.gov.sg/etac).

For inquiries, visit www.business.gov.sg or e-mail enterpriseone@spring.gov.sg. E-mail questions to sushyan@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The Straits Times on October 08, 2008.