Korea to Implement New Packaging Law on Egg Products

South Korea will implement new packaging and labelling laws on all egg products to enhance consumer rights and deal with substandard products, the government said.

The new rules require egg producers to show at what temperatures the eggs were kept during the distribution process and exact shelf life, South Korea’s Farm Ministry said.

The ministry’s senior veterinarian Kang Dae-jin said eggs kept at 25ºC have a shelf life of seven days while those sent through cold chains, where the temperature is 10ºC, have a shelf life of 35 days.

The rules, effective from 1 January 2011, also mandate that eggs cannot be sold to consumers if they are not packaged, while liquid eggs that are not heated must be used within 72 hours of being produced.

Seoul also plans to make it mandatory for egg retailers to be registered with local governments from October onwards, which will help strengthen accountability.