- Assessed that Korea’s shellfish hygiene control have drastically developed, resulting in an expected increase in shellfish exports -

  The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Minister CHO Seung Hwan) announced that the US FDA inspected Korea’s shellfish hygiene control system from April 6th - 12th, tentatively reporting on their drastic improvement over the last six years, which supports Korea’s continued exports of oysters and other shellfish to the United States.

 The US FDA conducts a regular biennial sanitation inspection of the shellfish production coasts of Korea, based on the 1972 Korea and 2015-revised United States Shellfish Sanitation Agreement and the MOU Regarding the Safety and Quality of Fresh and Frozen Molluscan Shellfish Exported to the United States. The results of the inspection and the implementation of improvement actions on nonconforming items are evaluated to determine whether to continue the exports of Korean shellfish to the United States.

 This year’s inspection is the first in six years since 2017, due to the impacts of COVID-19. The US FDA inspection team conducted a thorough on-site inspection of the overall sanitation management system for shellfish exported to the United States, including the control and reduction of land and sea pollution sources nearby the designated waters for Site Number 1 (Hansan and Geoje Bay) and Site Number 2 (Jaran Bay and Saryang Island), the harvesting and management of shellfish, management of hazards that may cause food poisoning, and the sanitation management of exporter factories.

 As part of the results, the US FDA inspection team evaluated all related criteria of the Korean shellfish hygiene management system as adequate to continue exports to the United States. Moreover, the team commented that the management capability of the local government officials in charge of the pollution sources of the designated waters, the expertise and passion of the officials from the National Institute of Fisheries Science and the National Fishery Products Quality Management Service, as well as the budgetary commitment to improve shellfish sanitation control were all impressive.

 However, to ensure robust sanitation control related to shellfish, detailed recommendations were presented, including the replacement of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection equipment in the sewage treatment plant before the commencement of the shellfish export season to the United States, as well as regular sanitation checks and record management for restrooms in ports and public restrooms near the sea. The final assessment results from the US FDA will be communicated to Korea in two to three months once the inspection team returns home.

 In addition, the US FDA inspection team revealed its intention to renew the MOU Regarding the Safety and Quality of Fresh and Frozen Molluscan Shellfish Exported to the United States after an additional inspection is conducted on the management of laboratories at the National Institute of Fisheries Science this summer.