South Korea upgrades pet food testing to detect toxins, vitamins up to 1,000 times more precisely

South Korea's National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service has developed testing technologies capable of analyzing nutrients and harmful substances in pet food up to 1,000 times more precisely than existing methods, as the agency moves to strengthen its safety management framework ahead of a new labeling regime set to take effect in 2028.

The agency's research laboratory announced Wednesday that it had developed three new analytical methods able to precisely measure vitamin and iodine content in pet food and detect paralytic shellfish toxins, a class of naturally occurring poisons.

The new techniques cover 10 vitamins — including B-group vitamins, vitamin E and choline — as well as iodine and 11 types of paralytic shellfish toxins, enabling more accurate analysis of both nutrients and harmful substances in dog and cat food.

Detecting trace amounts of vitamins in pet food had long been a challenge under existing testing methods. The agency developed a simultaneous analysis method for vitamins A and D last year, then expanded the scope this year to include B-group vitamins, vitamin E and choline.

A new method for testing all 11 paralytic shellfish toxins in a single analysis was also introduced. These toxins occur naturally in shellfish and similar organisms and can potentially reach pets through raw ingredients used in feed production.

Iodine measurement accuracy also improved significantly. The previous method relied on visual assessment of color changes, but the new approach uses inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, enabling measurements roughly 1,000 times more precise than before.

The agency said it expects the new technologies to serve as the foundation for the complete-feed labeling system for pets, set to take effect in September 2028. Under that regime, only feed products meeting the essential nutritional standards for each growth stage of dogs and cats will be permitted to carry a "complete feed" label.

Vitamins A and D can directly affect pet health when consumed in insufficient or excessive amounts, making accurate nutritional testing essential.

"The development of these analytical methods has laid the groundwork for more precise verification of nutrients and harmful substances in pet food," said Choe Su-a, director of the agency's research laboratory. "We will work to create a safe retail environment for pet food so that consumers can choose products with confidence."