The Korea Food and Drug Safety Service (MFDS) issued a notice on December 4, 2023, announcing a ban on the import of betel nuts. The decision was made after it was discovered that betel nuts imported from Taiwan, China, contained highly toxic pesticides. South Korea imports dozens of tons of betel nut from different ** every year, which is mainly used as a Chinese medicinal material. In addition, due to the reported potential cause of oral cancer, the MFDS decided to list betel nut as a prohibited import cargo, which means that betel nut cannot be imported into South Korea as a Chinese herbal medicine or food.
For a long time, betel nut has been widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine in countries such as South Korea, China, and Japan, and is called "betel nut". When importing and customs clearance of Chinese medicinal materials such as "betel nut", MFDS usually only allows safe varieties that have passed the pesticide residue inspection to enter the Korean market. But due to the recent detection of highly toxic pesticides and the potential link between betel nut and oral cancer, the Ministry of Food and Drug Administration of South Korea has taken stricter measures.
This decision is likely to have an impact on the Korean herbal medicine market, especially for the Chinese medicine industry, which relies on betel nut as a medicinal herb. Given the health risks and safety concerns of betel nut, this ban shows the determination of South Korea** to protect public health. This decision by MFDS underscores the importance of food safety and pharmaceutical regulation, as well as the need for strict inspections of imported products.
About Shanghai Zhongshen International Trade.