THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted a temporary ban on the importation of processed pork products from South Korea after a comprehensive risk assessment and scientific validation of safety protocols against African Swine Fever (ASF) found them safe.
The DA said in a statement on Monday that the decision was outlined under Memorandum Order No. 23 issued by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on May 2, 2025, but which was only recently publicized.
The order now allows the entry of pork items from South Korea as long as they were subjected to high-level heat treatment in a “hermetically sealed container with an F0 value of 3 or more, or heat-treated for at least 30 minutes at a minimum temperature of 70 degrees Celsius.”
The department imposed in 2019 the original restriction on processed pork products from South Korea to shield the local livestock sector from ASF amid outbreaks abroad.
However, the DA has reconsidered its stance following the findings of the recent Import Risk Analysis (IRA) dated April 8, 2025, which concluded that sterilized pork products from South Korea intended for export meet World Organization for Animal Health standards and are deemed a “safe commodity.”
The agency said the IRA highlighted South Korea’s robust veterinary oversight and ASF control systems, also noting the shelf-stability and secured packaging of the products.
“With these assurances, sterilized pork products from South Korea are permitted for import in accordance with existing Philippine regulations. With this policy shift, more pork products are anticipated to be available to consumers in the Philippines,” DA said.
“It may also indicate a potential thaw in agri-trade relations between the two countries,” DA added.
