Exports of Korean Processed Pork to Canada Take Big Step Forward… CFIA to Conduct On-site Inspection in November

The procedures for Korean processed pork products to enter the Canadian marketOn-site inspection stageIt has progressed to this point. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) plans to visit Korea from November 2 to 13 to inspect the hygiene management system and workplaces for processed meat products intended for export to Canada.

This investigation, along with a maintenance audit of existing export itemsInitial audit of heat-treated pork and beef productsIt is noteworthy that this is underway. It has been confirmed that the targets include heat-treated processed pork products such as canned ham, sausages, and gamjatang, as well as processed beef products such as jerky and galbitang.

Maintenance audits are being conducted in parallel to verify whether the export control system is being properly maintained for existing Canadian export items, such as heat-treated poultry products and beef broth.

Investigation of 11 locations including slaughterhouses, packaging plants, and heat treatment workplaces

The CFIA on-site inspection covers a total of 11 facilities. This includes three slaughterhouses, one meat packaging facility, and seven heat-treated livestock product processing facilities. Some businesses are included in two or more inspection categories depending on the function of their facilities.

Currently, there are no processed pork products among the items eligible for export to Canada.

The reason this on-site inspection is particularly noteworthy isThis is because processed pork products are not currently included in the list of items eligible for export to Canada under our government's export guidelines.am.

The 2026 amendment to the "Guidelines for Exporting Animal Products, Including Livestock Products," prepared by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and others, lists heat-treated processed chicken products and some processed beef products as export items to Canada. Processed chicken products refer to fully cooked products derived from chicken, and requirements such as HACCP certification, registration of export facilities, heat treatment conditions, and management of pathogenic microorganisms apply.

The scope of currently permitted beef products is also limited. It applies to broths, flavors, and meat extracts made from beef or processed beef products sourced from Canada or from countries and facilities where Canada permits imports.

Accordingly, the fact that heat-treated pork products, which are not currently included in the list of items eligible for export to Canada, were included in this first CFIA audit isThis indicates that the process of opening the Canadian market has entered a concrete stage.am.

Industry: “Significantly Advanced Stage”… Export Expectations

Han Deok-rae, Director of the Korea Meat Export Association, stated in a phone call with in:meat regarding the recent CFIA on-site inspectionIt is viewed as being at a significantly advanced stage, and expectations from the industry are high.He explained.

Given that processed pork products, which are not currently permitted, have been included in the CFIA's first on-site audit, this can be seen as a step further than a simple preliminary review.

However, an on-site inspection does not immediately mean that export is permitted. According to government export guidelines, livestock products not yet authorized for export can only be actually exported after the export authorization procedures between the Korean government and the importing country's government are completed. Depending on the country and product, the process also involves the importing country directly inspecting the processing plant to determine whether to grant registration.

Therefore, even after this inspection, follow-up procedures such as CFIA evaluation, determination of whether supplementary measures are required, consultation on sanitary and phytosanitary conditions, and approval of export facilities may continue.

Nevertheless, the fact that Korean heat-treated pork products have entered the CFIA's actual on-site verification stage holds great significance for the domestic meat processing industry. Once the export approval process is finalized, the possibility of entering the Canadian market will expand not only for general processed meat products such as canned ham and sausages but also for Korean-style processed meat products like Gamjatang, which is expected to generate significant interest from the industry.