Consumers and retailers alike are celebrating after the Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) finally reviewed its stance on cheese.

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For many years, strict regulations over “zero-bacteria” meant that many popular European cheeses, which depend on bacteria, were refused entry into the country. Many importers who tried to navigate the laws saw their shipments end up at the bottom of the Yellow Sea rather than on the market.


Years of lobbying by foreign governments and trade commissions have finally resulted in a relaxation of the laws however, and now the regulations state that cheese must contain “zero e-coli” rather than bacteria.


The market opportunities are opening up for new cheese importers and producers. Freight forwarding company, Italcore has already begun importing a variety of European cheeses, such as Edam, and owner Lee Hyun-kac revealed that he is positive about the sales potential in Korea. He currently supplies major hotels and gourmet delis and aims to make the cheeses available to everyone.

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