The third Asia-Pacific Food Regulatory Authority Summit (APFRAS), convened by the Government of the Republic of Korea, took place on 15 and 16 May 2025, Jeju Island, Republic of Korea, under the theme "Exploring Sustainable Food Safety". It brought together senior representatives of food regulatory authorities in the Asia-Pacific region to discuss strategic cooperation with the goal of “promoting regulatory harmonization in response to global changes in the food environment”.  The Summit also heard about food safety innovation and ways to pursue a “sustainable future for food safety.”

Opening the Summit, Minister OH Yu-Kyoung of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) of the Republic of Korea, said “Today, the world faces numerous challenges: disruptions in global food supply chain, and rapidly progressing climate change. These challenges demand that we work together to ensure sustainable food safety—a shared responsibility for all of us.” Underlining the aim of the event to collectively explore food safety developments, she continued: “This year, we reaffirm that food safety cannot be achieved by a single country or sector alone. It is a collective responsibility that requires the integration of intelligence and innovation through digitalization and new technologies. We will work together to seek solutions for sustainable food safety management.”

The keynote speech was delivered by Secretary of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), Sarah Cahill, who addressed “The importance of strategic collaboration for ensuring food safety and facilitating fair trade.” In her presentation, she introduced the work of CAC and how its member-driven and cooperative approach to food safety and trade is equipping it to address emerging challenges and make the most of new opportunities. She described CAC as a “well-established and collaborative tool” that has agreed to strengthen relationships with other international organizations through a new goal outlined in the Codex Strategic Plan 2026–2031. “This,” she remarked, “promotes a coordinated approach to address global challenges.​”

Attending the Summit were representatives from FAO and WHO and senior representatives of food regulatory authorities from Australia, Brunei Darussalam, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the United States and Viet Nam.

The Republic of Korea was unanimously re-appointed as the next Chair of APFRAS, with Minister Yu-kyoung OH of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety as Chairperson, reaffirming continuity in APFRAS leadership and a shared commitment to deeper collaboration. Over the next three years, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will work to further develop APFRAS as a leading international platform for food regulatory collaboration in the Asia-Pacific region. During the Summit, member countries agreed to expand the scope and utilization of the CES (Correct, Easy, Speedy) Food Safety Regulatory Information Database, which was launched earlier this year to allow sharing of updated food safety standards and regulations. The database is a search platform currently providing regulatory information on 10 food categories across 9 countries and is expected to facilitate access to regulatory information and enable exporters to respond more efficiently to technical trade barriers.

Senior representatives of food regulatory authorities announced the ‘APFRAS Jeju 2025 Declaration’ to conclude the Summit which shares commitment on integrated harmonization in the region.

Minister OH stated, “APFRAS 2025 delivered meaningful outcomes by reaffirming the importance of international collaboration for sustainable global food safety, and by advancing concrete measures such as expanding the use of electronic hygiene certificates and by supporting strengthened regulatory capacity among members.”

This ministerial-level coalition, initiated by the Republic of Korea in 2023, aims to foster collaboration among national authorities, address shared global challenges, and align food regulations across the region.

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News from the Asia region (CCASIA)
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Photo © MFDS