PH lifts import ban on heat-treated Korean pork products

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Monday it has lifted the temporary ban on the importation of processed pork products from South Korea, after analysis found that products from the country meet health standards.

Under Memorandum order 23, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has allowed the entry of pork items subject to high-level heat treatment — either an Fo value of 3 or more in hermetically sealed containers, or heating for 30 minutes at a minimum of 70 degrees Celsius.

According to the DA, it reconsidered its stance on the ban, following the findings of an import risk analysis (IRA) dated April 8, 2025, three weeks after it ordered the importation ban on domestic cattle in South Korea on March 18.

The DA cited FMD, a severe and highly contagious disease that affects livestocks, as the reason for the temporary ban which was also imposed on imports from Hungary.

“The analysis concluded that sterilized pork products from South Korea intended for export meets World Organization for Animal Health standards and is deemed a ‘safe commodity’,” it said.

“The IRA highlighted South Korea’s robust veterinary oversight and ASF control systems, and noted the shelf-stability and secured packaging of the imported products. With these assurances, sterilized pork products from South Korea are permitted for import in accordance with existing Philippine regulations,” it added. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/RSJ, GMA Integrated News