Newsletter
Columns on Food Labeling/Regulations in Japan
Category： Food Labels in General
Canadian mandatory front-of-pack labeling : important highlights
Canada issued the new Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations (Nutrition Symbols, Other Labelling Provisions, Vitamin D and Hydrogenated Fats or Oils) in July 2022. This amendment covers a new requirement for mandated front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labeling on pre-packaged foods that are high in nutrients of public health concerns . This initiative aims to… more »
Agricultural products with food chain information newly set in JAS (Japan)
The Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) for agricultural products with food chain information was enacted on March 30, 2023 and came into effect on April 29, 2023. Background Establishing the Smart Food Chain Platform (SFP), which is a platform for linking a series of data on agricultural products from production to sales, enables the setting of… more »
Recent Food Labeling Trends on Sustainability
Recently, sustainability has been the motive behind some new movements and legislations. Sustainability in the food industry includes various different aspects, and in this newsletter, we will explore two prevalent food labeling regulations trends that focus on food waste and plastic circular practices of foreign countries, particularly the EU and Korea. We would like to… more »
“Fair Trade Conference for Olive Oils” newly established and its Code added to Fair Competition Codes (Japan)
The Code for the labeling of “Extra virgin olive oils” was approved to be included in Fair Competition Codes on February 17, 2023, and a public notice was issued on March 22, 2023, pursuant to Paragraph 4 of the same Article. Background According to the international standards of the International Olive Council (hereinafter referred to… more »
Research and practical points for food standards on such as additives, food labeling for exports from Japan
(*This article is mainly aimed at companies in Japan, but can also be used as a reference for any companies doing export (including to Japan).) In this article, we would like to inform you of research and practical points for food standards regarding mainly additives, food labeling among other topics for exports from Japan. (Content… more »
Draft guidance for appropriate labeling of plant-based milk alternatives issued (U.S.)
Note: This article is related to a foreign regulation (United States of America). For more articles regarding Japanese regulations please refer to our newsletter page. On February 22, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the draft guidance to ensure appropriate labeling of plant-based milk alternatives (PBMA) sold as substitutes for milk and… more »
Mandatory allergen labeling for walnuts and others:“Food Labeling Standards”, ”Regarding Food Labeling Standards”, ”Food Labeling Standards Q&A” Revised (Japan)
On March 9, 2023, the Consumer Affairs Agency(CAA) announced revisions to “Food Labeling Standards”, “Regarding Food Labeling Standards”, and “Food Labeling Standards Q&A”. The main revisions include the mandatory labeling of allergens for walnuts and the addition of rapeseed producing EPA / DHA* to the list of specified genetically modified agricultural products**. In this article,… more »
Revision draft of Japan’s Specifications and Standards for Food Additives
On February 9, 2023, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) published the 10th edition of Japan’s Specifications and Standards for Food Additives (draft). Under the provisions of Article 21 of the Food Sanitation Act, the specifications and standards and the standards for use of food additives shall be included in Japan’s Specifications and… more »
FOP, GMO, and small packaged food labeling: Latest Updates to the Food Labeling regulations for some countries
Introduction The food industry is growing incredibly fast in all aspects due to the variety of products and their resources. As a result, government agencies are working day and night to ensure that consumers are well-informed and guided in their food choices. We would like to share with you some highlights of the Food labeling… more »
Labeling Method in Accordance with the Revision of the labeling system for genetically modified foods (Japan)
As of March 31, 2023, the transitional period for the revision of the conditions for the voluntary labeling of “non-GM” will end. This time, we have reviewed the revised labeling method. Main points of revision Notice:*1 Unintentional presence of material: Certain contamination of genetically modified agricultural products at a certain level even under proper IP… more »