AFTER more than two years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is allowing the importation of processed pork products from the Republic of Korea that were banned due to the threat of African Swine Fever (ASF).
The FDA issued Memorandum Order Nos. 23 Series of 2025 lifting the ban.
Citing the Import Risk Assessment (IRA) conducted by the Department of Agriculture last April 2025, the agency noted that the Republic of Korea now maintains sufficient veterinary oversight and has established necessary control measures for rigorous monitoring of processed pork products.
“The identified commodity for export is shelf-stable and its packaging complies with the requirements of the World Health Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), which is classified under the safe commodities,” said the FDA.
The FDA also noted how processed pork products that have been heat-treated in hermetically-sealed containers were found effective against ASF.
“They have been shown to inactivate the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) in accordance with the procedures outlined in the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code (TAHC),” said the FDA.
The FDA imposed a temporary ban on the entry of pork meat products from the Republic of Korea in May 2023 amid the threat of the ASF.
