For the next six months, companies will be temporarily allowed to use stickers for mandatory labeling on food and cosmetics when using substitute packaging materials.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) said Monday it convened its Proactive Administration Committee to address packaging material supply instability caused by the war in the Middle East and approved administrative support measures. The supply disruption stems from unstable access to naphtha, a key raw material for packaging. Previously, even when companies secured alternative packaging materials, they could not use them quickly because producing new printing plates took considerable time.
The measure is expected to smooth product supply by enabling companies to swiftly switch to substitute packaging materials even after existing inventory runs out. The MFDS also said it will shift the Proactive Administration Committee to a standing operation system to respond quickly to supply instability of goods under its jurisdiction. The time required from submission of agenda items through committee deliberation and notification of results will be shortened from five days to a maximum of two days.