The National Agrifood Health and Quality Service (Senasa) and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) of South Korea yesterday signed an equivalence agreement regarding the food safety of fishery products that Argentina exports to the Asian nation during a meeting held virtually.
She added that “Korea is a very important destination for Argentine exports. It occupies the ninth place among the nations that receive our agricultural exports and the third for fishing products" and stressed that the equivalence agreement "is the result of hard technical work carried out professionally between both countries."
For his part, the general director of the MFDS Imported Food Safety Policies Office, Young Taek WOO highlighted "the very good cultural and economic relations that South Korea and Argentina maintain" and assured that the agreement "is very important for the safety of Argentine fishing products because it will further strengthen exports from that country†.
Meanwhile, the national director of Food Safety and Quality of Senasa, Alejandro Fernández , explained "Last year we received an audit visit from South Korea to the control and certification system for the export of fishing products that was satisfactory and generated the management of this equivalence agreement between the systems of South Korea and Argentina†.
He added that "South Korea has highly demanding standards in terms of food safety and this agreement means its trust in our control system, for which Senasa is going to propose the establishments to export fishery products to Korea."
This agreement will enter into force on August 10, 2024, after MFDS officials visit Argentina to finalize details with Senasa on adapting the regulations and procedure prior to its start.
The following fishery products for human consumption exported from Argentina are included in the scope of this agreement: aquatic products, including aquatic animals and algae used as raw material, fish, aquatic animals and algae that have undergone a simple process such as : cut, heated, fully cooked steamed or boiled, dried, salted, preserved in brine, smoked, refrigerated or frozen to the point of being able to identify its original form. ■