The 2026 Asia-Pacific Food Regulatory Authority Summit (APFRAS) was held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 11 to 12 May 2026. The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and attended by more than 50 representatives from food regulatory authorities of 14 economies in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as international organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the Codex Alimentarius Commission. A Chinese delegation composed of representatives from the Department of Food Production and Operation Safety Regulation(SAMR), the Department of Food Safety Coordination(SAMR), Department of Food Safety Sampling and Monitoring(SAMR), as well as the China National Institute of Standardization(CNIS), attended the meeting.

The theme of this year’s summit was “Achieving a Strategic Leap Forward in Asia-Pacific Food Regulatory Harmonization and Partnership”. Discussions focused on strengthening regulatory harmonization and cooperation, jointly addressing changes in the international food industry environment and global challenges, advancing the digital transformation of food safety management, and improving regional food safety levels. The meeting also reviewed and adopted several documents, including the “2026 APFRAS Seoul Declaration” the “Recommendations on Regulatory Harmonization Priorities in the Asia-Pacific Region” the “Plan for Applying for Observer Status in the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)” and the “Report on Dialogue Activities and Recommendations on APFRAS Dialogue Cooperation Areas (2026–2027)”.

During the meeting, the Chinese delegation held a bilateral meeting with the Ministry for Primary Industries of New Zealand and reached consensus on further deepening bilateral cooperation on food safety regulation.

The Asia-Pacific Food Regulatory Authority Summit (APFRAS) is a regional international organization initiated by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2023. It aims to strengthen cooperation among food regulatory authorities in the Asia-Pacific region and jointly address challenges related to global food policy, food trade, and emerging food technologies.