South Korea tests AI web app for overseas food safety

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is conducting a public user test for its new ‘Overseas Direct Purchase Food Safety’ web app from October 15 to 21. Developed as part of a public sector AI transformation project with the Ministry of Science and ICT, the application aims to simplify how consumers check the safety of food purchased from abroad.

Unlike previous methods that required manual entry of product or ingredient names to check against prohibited lists, the new AI-powered web app allows users to upload photos of products or input sales URLs. The AI will then identify if the product contains ingredients banned from domestic entry or other hazardous substances.

The testing phase is designed to verify the accuracy of the AI’s identification capabilities and ensure system stability. During this period, the government will also conduct a survey of 1,000 participants to gather feedback for service improvements. Following the analysis of user input, the official service is expected to launch in late November.