SOUTH KOREA FCM REGULATORY PROPOSALS
On January 8, 2026, South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety issued Announcements No. 2026-008 and No. 2026-009 proposing amendments to the Standards and Specifications for Utensils, Containers and Packages. The proposals covered infant rubber products, physically recycled polypropylene and PVC plasticizer limits. The consultation has since closed, and part of the proposals has been finalized. Material suppliers and manufacturers can review the changes as part of their Korea FCM compliance assessment.
Quick Navigation
Review the regulatory status, proposed requirements and practical compliance considerations.
Regulatory Status Update
The public consultation period for both proposals ended on March 9, 2026.
MFDS subsequently incorporated the recycled PP, PVC migration-limit and terminology changes from Announcement No. 2026-009 into MFDS Notification No. 2026-24, issued on March 27, 2026. The infant-rubber requirements discussed below originated in the separate Announcement No. 2026-008 and should be checked against the latest official text before being treated as final.
| Topic | Original Proposal | Current Status Covered by This Article |
|---|---|---|
| Infant rubber products | Announcement No. 2026-008 | Presented below as a proposed requirement; verify the latest MFDS text before implementation. |
| Physically recycled PP | Announcement No. 2026-009 | Subsequently incorporated into Notification No. 2026-24. |
| DEHP and DEHA limits for PVC | Announcement No. 2026-009 | Subsequently incorporated into Notification No. 2026-24, with the revised limits applying from March 27, 2027. |
Proposed Standards for Infant Rubber Products
Announcement No. 2026-008 proposed separate standards and specifications for infant rubber products, including products such as rubber teething toys and rubber straws. The proposal would apply specifications comparable to those used for infant rubber pacifiers.
Residue Specifications
| Test Item | Proposed Specification | Application Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | ≤10 mg/kg | — |
| Cadmium | ≤10 mg/kg | — |
| 2-Mercaptoimidazoline | Not detected | Applied only to rubber containing chlorine |
| 1,3-Butadiene | ≤1 mg/kg | Applied only where 1,3-butadiene accounts for 50% or more of the base polymer |
Migration Specifications
| Test Item | Proposed Specification |
|---|---|
| Lead | ≤1 mg/L |
| Overall migration | ≤40 mg/L |
| Phenol | ≤5 mg/L |
| Formaldehyde | ≤4 mg/L |
| Zinc | ≤1 mg/L |
| N-Nitrosamines Sum of N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosodiethylamine, N-nitrosodi-n-propylamine, N-nitrosodi-n-butylamine, N-nitrosopiperidine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine and N-nitrosomorpholine | ≤0.01 mg/kg |
| N-Nitrosatable substances Sum of the corresponding nitrosatable substances specified in the proposal | ≤0.1 mg/kg |
The proposal also introduced a total volatile matter requirement under which the total volatile content of infant rubber products would not exceed 0.5%.
Recognition Standards for Physically Recycled PP
Announcement No. 2026-009 proposed expanding the permitted physically recycled synthetic resin raw materials from PET to include physically recycled polypropylene.
1. Raw Material Admission Requirements
Input materials would need to consist of a single PP material and be recovered through a controlled closed-loop system that prevents exposure to non-food contamination sources. The proposal also addressed direct printing, adhesives and thorough cleaning of the recovered materials.
2. Recycling Process Control
The recycling process would need to be independently controlled, including critical operating parameters such as temperature and pressure. The proposal called for appropriate standard operating procedures and validated testing methods as part of the supporting safety documentation.
3. Recognition Application Documentation
The proposed application documentation included test reports issued by accredited institutions, information on the product’s intended use, usage temperature and contacted food types, as well as supply-chain information, production-process documentation and quality-assurance evidence.
Proposed DEHP and DEHA Migration Limits for PVC
The existing general manufacturing standards prohibited the use of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in utensils, containers and packages and di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate in cling wraps, except where migration into food was not possible. Announcement No. 2026-009 proposed aligning the PVC migration specifications with these restrictions.
| Test Item | Previous Migration Limit | Proposed Migration Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) | ≤1.5 mg/L | Not detected |
| Di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) | ≤18 mg/L | ≤18 mg/L; not detected in cling wraps |
These PVC changes were subsequently included in MFDS Notification No. 2026-24. The revised migration limits are scheduled to apply from March 27, 2027.
What Material Suppliers and Manufacturers Should Review
Infant rubber products: distinguish the requirements proposed under Announcement No. 2026-008 from requirements already included in the current consolidated standards.
Physically recycled PP: review input-material purity, collection systems, printing, adhesive use, cleaning processes and supporting technical information.
PVC materials: assess DEHP and DEHA use, product specifications and migration-testing arrangements before March 27, 2027.
Technical documentation: keep material composition, intended use, contacted food types, processing conditions and supply-chain information consistent.
How REACH24H Can Support Korea FCM Compliance
REACH24H can support material suppliers, manufacturers and importers in identifying applicable Korean requirements and reviewing product information against the latest regulatory standards. Learn more about our Korea food contact material compliance service.
Applicability assessment: identify the Korean requirements relevant to the material, composition and intended food contact use.
Compliance gap review: review specifications, formulation information and supporting documents against applicable requirements.
Testing and documentation support: assist with compliance testing strategies and relevant technical documentation.
Need support with Korea FCM compliance?
Submit your material, composition and intended-use information to assess the applicable Korean standards and compliance pathway.
