South Korea’s food industry is racing to comply after the government moved up the start date for a full GMO (genetically modified organism) labeling rule for sugars and edible oils from Dec. 31 next year to Dec. 31 this year. Companies must overhaul sourcing, traceability and packaging in less time than expected. Non-GMO (non-genetically modified) ingredients are usually secured through contracts before planting, so switching suppliers or increasing non-GMO purchases can take a year or more. Refined foods that contain no GMO DNA or protein cannot be verified by ingredient testing alone, so firms need track-and-trace (traceability) systems and documentation from farm to final product to prove separation. Packaging redesigns and relabeling are also required across many processed foods that use affected ingredients, and smaller firms or those reliant on GMO ingredients may struggle to meet the accelerated timetable. Industry warns that the short notice could raise costs, disrupt production or even halt sales of unready products, and that international verification infrastructure will be costly and time-consuming to build.
