Recently Korean Food & Drugs Administration (KFDA) published Ware, Utensil, Packaging Base and Specification to amend related administrative forenotice in order to revise the migration limit of melamine from 30mg/L to 2mg/L for food contact materials with melamine as the raw material. The limit is greatly reduced as only one-fifteenth of the previous value.

Melamine dinner wares (also referred to as Porcelain-like dinner wares) are food contact materials that take melamine as the raw material. It is favored by consumers due to smooth appearance, nice façade and great break resistance. Many child dinner wares on the market are also of such materials. However, such material may release formaldehyde and melamine during their application when the raw material or dinner ware is heated, greatly affecting human health.

Overseas countries pose strict requirement on melamine dinner wares and they choose a great proportion of such products for random inspection. As we know, Chinese melamine dinner wares are frequently notified on the EU RASFF system due to excessive formaldehyde and melamine. Meanwhile, Korea also strengthens its requirements by lowering the migration limit for melamine.

Reminder: It is advisable for companies to make sure their products are tested so as to reduce the risk of being notified during the export process.