3. Compositional Aspects
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3. Compositional Aspects
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Dairy Products
South Korea
This section provides the compositional requirements for the food category and/or food products in scope and information on permitted nutrients, ingredients, and additives.
3.1 Composition Requirements
Category
Milk Products
There are no compositional requirements (e.g. milk fat, protein content, etc.) for milk products in general. The Korea Food Code [1] defines composition requirements for each specific milk product.
Product
Sterilized Milk (including liquid milk, low-fat milk)
Milk fat (%): Not less than 3.0 (however, 0.6~2.6 for low-fat products, not more than 0.5 for non-fat products)
Goat Milk
- Non-fat milk solids (%): Not less than 7.5
- Milk fat (%): Not less than 3.2
Processed Milk
Item | Food types | ||
Fortified milk | Lactic acid bacteria-added milk | Lactose-hydrolyzed milk | |
Milk Fat (%) | Not less than 3.0 (However, 0.6~2.6 for low-fat products, not more than 0.5 for non-fat products) | ||
Crude fat (%) | Not less than 2.7 (However, 0.6~2.6 for low-fat products, non-fat products are excluded) | ||
Fermented Milk
Items | Food types | |||||
Fermented Milk | Thick Fermented Milk | Fermented Cream | Thick Fermented Cream | Fermented Butter Milk | Fermented Milk Powder | |
(1) Water (%) | - | - | - | - | - | Not more than 5.0 |
(2) Milk solids (%) | - | - | - | - | - | Not less than 85 |
(3) Non-fat milk solids (%) | Not less than 3.0 | Not less than 8.0 | Not less than 3.0 | Not less than 8.0 | Not less than 8.0 | - |
(4) Milk fat (%) | - | - | Not less than 8.0 | Not less than 8.0 | Not more than 1.5 | - |
(5) Lactic acid bacteria or yeasts count |
Not less than 10,000,00 per 1 mL | Not less than 100,000,00 per 1 mL (however, for frozen products, not less than 10,000,000) |
Not less than 10,000,00 per 1mL | Not less than 100,000,00 per 1 mL (however, for frozen products, not less than 10,000,000) |
Not less than 10,000,00 per 1 mL |
- |
Concentrated Milk
Items | Food types | |||
Concentrated Milk, Concentrated skim milk | Sweetened condensed milk | Sweetened condensed skim milk | Processed condensed milk | |
(1) Water (%) | - | Not more than 27.0 | Not more than 29.0 | - |
(2) Milk solids (%) | Not less than 22.0 | Not less than 29.0 | Not less than 25.0 | Not less than 22.0 |
(3) Milk fat (%) | Not less than 6.0 applicable only to concentrated milk) | Not less than 8.0 | - | - |
(5) Sugar(%) (including Lactose) | - | Not more than 58.0 | Not more than 58.0 | Not more than 58.0 |
3.2 Raw Material Requirements
Category
Milk Products
All milk products should use only 100% raw milk or reconstituted milk. Low-fat milk and skim milk can be prepared by removing fat from 100% raw milk.
Raw Milk
Raw milk should not contain any drugs for neutralization, pasteurization, suppression of bacterial proliferation, and storage. In addition, cow’s milk and goat’s milk that are confirmed residuals of any drugs mentioned above should not be received at the same plant, nor should they be mixed together.
The standard for raw milk in Korea [3]:
Items | Standard | Sanitation grade |
Total bacterial counts [2] | Less than 30,000 /ml | Grade 1A |
30,000-100,000/ml | Grade 1B | |
100,000-250,000/ml | Grade 2 | |
250,000-500,000/ml | Grade 3 | |
More than 500,000/ml | Grade 4 | |
Somatic cell counts [2] | Less than 200,000/ml | Grade 1 |
200,000-350,000 | Grade 2 | |
350,000-500,000 | Grade 3 | |
500,000-750,000 | Grade 4 | |
More than 750,000 | Grade 5 | |
Specific Gravity(S.G) | 1.028-1.034(15℃) |
|
Titratable acidity (%) | Holstein: less then 0.18 |
|
Other species: less than 0.2 |
| |
Alcohol test | No coagulation |
|
Sediment | Less than 2.0mg |
|
Organoleptic test | Acceptable |
|
Added water | Water must not be added |
|
Residual pesticide | Should not be detected |
|
Veterinary drugs | Should not be detected |
|
Growth hormone | Should not be detected |
|
Lead(mg/kg) | Less than 0.02 |
|
Aflatoxin M1(㎍/kg) | Less than 0.5 |
|
Radioactivity(Bq/kg, L) | Less than 100 | 131I |
Less than 50 | 134Cs + 137Cs |
Product
Sterilized Milk (including liquid milk, low-fat milk)
Milks (100% milk) should never be mixed with other materials; however, reconstituted milk may be added with materials that are similar to raw milk [4].
Processed Milk
- Food additives for making fortified milk are limited to vitamins and minerals.
- Lactic acid bacteria used in lactic acid bacteria-added milk should be edible for human consumption and safe in terms of food sanitation [4].
- In Flavored Processed milk, food ingredients, food additives, food flavorings, vitamins, and minerals can be added.
Fermented Milk
Food or food additives can be added for fermentation purposes. Lactic acid bacteria used in fermented milk should be edible for human consumption and safe in terms of food sanitation [4].
Concentrated Milk
Processed condensed milk, food ingredients, food additives, food flavorings, vitamins, and minerals can be added.
3.3 Fortification
Category
Milk Products
This category follows the fortification requirements outlined in Section 3.3 of the "General Foods" guidebook for South Korea, unless restricted by the standards and specifications for each milk product.
Product
Sterilized Milk (including liquid milk, low-fat milk)
Fortification of vitamins or minerals is not allowed for 100% milk [4].
Processed Milk
- Fortified milk∶ Food additives added to milk for the purpose of fortifying vitamins or minerals (100% milk excluding food additives). Fortified milk must label the name and content of the fortified ingredients and can be labeled as fortified milk only if it contains more than 2,000 IU of vitamin A and 400 IU of vitamin D per liter [4]. All other vitamins and minerals can be added as per the levels indicated for "contains" or "high" (see Section 5 on Claim Requirements).
- Lactic acid bacteria-added milk∶ please refer to Section 3.3 of the "General Foods" guidebook for South Korea.
- Lactose-hydrolyzed milk∶ please refer to Section 3.3 of the "General Foods" guidebook for South Korea.
- Processed milk∶ please refer to Section 3.3 of the "General Foods" guidebook for South Korea.
Fermented Milk
Fermented milks except for fermented buttermilk can be fortified as per the levels indicated for "contains" or "high" (see Section 5 on Claim Requirements).
Concentrated Milk
Fortification of foods or food additives is not allowed for concentrated milk, only processed condensed milk can be fortified as per the levels indicated for "contains" or "high" (see Section 5 on Claim Requirements).
3.4 Other Permitted Ingredients
Category
Milk Products
Specific Milk Products are allowed to be fortified with functional ingredients; they then are referred to as General Foods with functional labeling (except for sterilized milk and condensed milk below).
Product
Sterilized Milk (including liquid milk, low-fat milk)
No other ingredients than raw milk are allowed to be added to milk [4]. Please refer to Section 3.2 above.
Processed Milk
Please refer to Section 3.2 - Raw Material Requirements - of the "General Foods" guidebook for South Korea.
Fermented Milk
Same as Section 3.2 above.
Concentrated Milk
No other ingredients than milk and sugars (for sweetened concentrated milk) are allowed. For sugars added to sweetened condensed milk products, the following requirements apply:
Sugar
- Sugar: sugar content: not less than 99.7 (however, not less than 97.0 in brown sugar)
- Other sugar, which is mixed sugar with food or food additive: not less than 86.0
Sugar syrup
- Total saccharide(%): Not less than 60.0
- Sodium saccharin: should not be detected
Oligosaccharides
- The respective oligosaccharide content of not less than 10 in fructooligosaccharide, isomaltooligosaccharide, galactooligosaccharide, xylooligosaccharide, and gentiooligosaccharide
- Maltooligosaccharide: Not less than 40
- Processed oligosaccharide products: Not less than each oligosaccharide content specified in 1~2
Glucose
- Dextrose equivalent (D.E): Not less than 80.0 (only applicable to liquid products)
- Sodium saccharin: Shall not be detected
- Dextrin powder (%): Not more than 4.0 (only applicable to powder/crystalline products)
Fructose
- Fructose (%): Not less than 98.0 (as in an anhydrous state)
- Other fructose (%), which is a mixture between fructose and food and food additives: Not less than 35.0 (as in an anhydrous state)
Dextrin
- Dextrose equivalent (D.E): Less than 20.0
- Sodium saccharin should not be detected
3.5 Permitted Additives
Category
Milk Products
Food additives classified as nutritional fortifiers except for sodium ferrous citrate, ferrous gluconate, calcium gluconate, nicotinic acid, ammonium molybdate, sodium molybdate, sodium fluoride, vitamin K1, vitamin K2, L-cysteine hydrochloride, 5’-cytidylix acid, disodium 5’-cytidylate, 5’-adenylic acid, sodium selenite, chromium chloride, disodium 5’-uridylate, cupric sulfate, and zinc sulfate can be used as nutritional fortifiers [5].
Product
Sterilized Milk (including liquid milk, low-fat milk)
No other ingredients than raw milk are allowed to be added to milk [4].
Processed Milk
Food additives classified as nutritional fortifiers except for sodium ferrous citrate, ferrous gluconate, calcium gluconate, nicotinic acid, ammonium molybdate, sodium molybdate, sodium fluoride, vitamin K1, vitamin K2, L-cysteine hydrochloride, 5’-cytidylix acid, disodium 5’-cytidylate, 5’-adenylic acid, sodium selenite, chromium chloride, disodium 5’-uridylate, cupric sulfate, and zinc sulfate can be used as nutritional fortifiers [5].
Fermented Milk
Food additives classified as nutritional fortifiers except for sodium ferrous citrate, ferrous gluconate, calcium gluconate, nicotinic acid, ammonium molybdate, sodium molybdate, sodium fluoride, vitamin K1, vitamin K2, L-cysteine hydrochloride, 5’-cytidylix acid, disodium 5’-cytidylate, 5’-adenylic acid, sodium selenite, chromium chloride, disodium 5’-uridylate, cupric sulfate, and zinc sulfate can be used as nutritional fortifiers [5].
Concentrated Milk
Food or food additives mentioned in Milk Products can be fortified for processed condensed milk [5].
3.6 Permitted Flavors and Colors
Category
Milk Products
Flavors and colors that are allowed for General Foods can be used in Milk Products unless considered Natural foods. Please refer to Section 3.6 of the "General Foods" guidebook for South Korea.
Product
Sterilized Milk (including liquid milk, low-fat milk)
No flavors and colors are allowed to be added to milk [4].
Processed Milk
Flavors and colors can be used in processed milk [6].
Fermented Milk
Flavors and colors are allowed to be used in fermented milk products excluding fermented buttermilk [6].
Concentrated Milk
Flavors and colors are allowed to be used in processed condensed milk [4].
3.7 Permitted Processing Aids
Category
Milk Products
Processing aids allowed for Milk Products include [5]:
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Lauric acid
- Myristic acid
- Oxygen
- Oxalic acid
- Sodium hydroxide
- Sodium hydroxide liquid
- Stearic acid
- Ammonia
- Oleic acid
- Ion exchange resin
- Nitrogen gas
- Capric acid
- Caprylic acid
- Palmitic acid
- Sulfuric acid
- Enzyme preparation
Product
Sterilized Milk (including liquid milk, low-fat milk)
No processing aids are allowed to be used in milk.
Processed milk
Processing aids allowed for Milk Products include [5]:
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Lauric acid
- Myristic acid
- Oxygen
- Oxalic acid
- Sodium hydroxide
- Sodium hydroxide liquid
- Stearic acid
- Ammonia
- Oleic acid
- Ion exchange resin
- Nitrogen gas
- Capric acid
- Caprylic acid
- Palmitic acid
- Sulfuric acid
- Enzyme preparation
Fermented milk
Same as "Processed milk" above.
Concentrated milk
Same as "Processed milk" above.
3.8 Additional Notes
Category
Milk Products [8]
Trans fat is subject to nutritional information labeling. Trans fat can be labeled as less than 0.5 gram if it is 0.5 gram per 100 grams of raw material. If trans fat is less than 0.5 grams per 100 grams, it can be labeled as low trans fat. And if trans fat is less than 0.2 grams/100 grams, it can be labeled as zero.
Product
Sterilized Milk (including liquid milk, low-fat milk) [8]
Trans fat is subject to nutritional information labeling. Trans fat can be labeled as less than 0.5 gram if it is 0.5 gram per 100 grams of raw material. If trans fat is less than 0.5 grams per 100 grams, it can be labeled as low trans fat. And if trans fat is less than 0.2 grams/100 grams, it can be labeled as zero.
Processed milk
Same as "Sterilized milk" above.
Fermented milk
Same as "Sterilized milk" above.
Concentrated milk
Same as "Sterilized milk" above.
3.9 References
1. Requirement of food ingredient in food code
https://various.foodsafetykorea.go.kr/fsd/#/ext/Document/FC
2. Standard for sanitation grade of raw milk
원유의 위생등급기준 | 국가법령정보센터 | 행정규칙 (law.go.kr)
3. Standard on raw milk under Chapter 2.3 Standard and specification of general foods
4. Chapter 4.19, Food Code
5. Standards for use of food additives by items in Korea Food Additives Code
6. List of synthetic flavour in Korea Food Additive Code
7. Chapter 1. Korea Food Additives Code, Definition of term
식품분야 공전 온라인 서비스 (foodsafetykorea.go.kr)
8. Detailed standards for each labeling item in attached form 1 of the Food Labeling Standards
https://www.law.go.kr/%ED%96%89%EC%A0%95%EA%B7%9C%EC%B9%99/%EC%8B%9D%ED%92%88%EB%93%B1%EC%9D%98%ED%91%9C%EC%8B%9C%EA%B8%B0%EC%A4%80
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