Newsletter
Columns on Food Labeling/Regulations in Japan
Guidance on how to label plant-based egg-like products (plant-based alternatives to egg products) in Canada
Following the results of a public consultation that ran from 29 July 2024 to 28 October 2024, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) proposed a guidance on 29 October 2024 regarding how plant-based foods (alternatives to egg products) should be labelled in Canada. Guidance overview This guidance only covers plant-based egg substitutes that do not… more »
Summary of the status of legal changes on food labelling in Japan (1)
Looking back the year 2024, there have been various amendments to the food labelling system this year, and we would like to reiterate the domestic situation. Status of amendments in 2024 The main amendment announced this year was the addition of “macadamia nuts” to the list of Voluntary allergen labelling items (and the deletion of… more »
Study on the Use of Digital Tools for Food Labeling
On October 1, 2024, the “First Subcommittee Meeting to Study the Use of Digital Tools for Food Labeling” (hereinafter referred to as the “Subcommittee Meeting”) was held. During this first gathering, the current status of the use of digital tools in Japan and abroad, as well as current issues related to them were discussed. In… more »
Current food waste issues triggered by expiry date labeling, Proposed legislation to uniform food expiry date labelling in California/USA, and General Situation around the world (including Japan)
On 28 September 2024, the State of California, USA, announced that a bill to uniform food expiry date labelling had been signed. Until now, the state has allowed for the use of “Sell by”, “Best by/before”, ‘Expired by’ as well as other recommended labelling methods such as “Best if Used By” and “Use By”, when… more »
2nd Discussion on Japan’s Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling 2024
On August 27 2024, the ‘2nd Discussion on Japan’s Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling in 2024’ (in Japanese) (hereinafter referred to as the Discussion) was held. In this issue, we would like to summarize the main topics at that occasion. The two topics discussed on the main agenda were the permissibility of labeling the state of the… more »
Trends in the revision of standards for allergen labeling in various countries
More than six months have passed since Japan ‘s Food Labeling Standards were revised on March 28, 2024, adding macadamia nuts to the list of recommended allergen labeling items (while also removing matsutake mushrooms). Since the number of 28 items (8 mandatory and 20 recommended) remains the same, it is difficult to see the changes… more »
Key points to keep in mind when Making Environmental Claims on Food Labeling in the United Kingdom
In July 2024, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (Below we refer to it as the ASA) published “Environmental claims in food advertising,” which provides advice on making environmental claims on meat, dairy, and plant-based food labeling. The following is a brief overview of the advice. A recent consumer survey conducted by ASA on environmental claims… more »
Food Labeling Standards partly amended in relation to FFC (Japan)
Note: This article discusses the changes in Japan FFC systems, following the Beni-Koji Incident that happened earlier this year. On August 23, 2024, a partial amendment to the Food Labeling Standards (Japanese) has been published (some of which came into effect on September 1). The following are excerpts of the outline of the amendment organized… more »
Call for public comment on draft notification to make GMP mandatory in accordance with the revision of the system for FFC (Japan)
On July 12, 2024, the Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) began soliciting opinions on the standards for the manufacture or processing of tablets, capsules, and other Foods with Functional Claims (FFC) that Use natural extracts as ingredients (draft) (Japanese). The public comment was closed on August 16th. The draft notice is based on the decision made… more »
Outline of the Cabinet Office Ordinance (Draft) to partially amend Food Labeling Standards in accordance with the revision of the system for FFC (Japan)
Note: The current system of foods with functional claims (FFC) is summarized in a leaflet in English. The Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) recently solicited opinions on the Cabinet Office Ordinance (Draft) (Japanese) to partially amend the Food Labeling Standards (Japanese) in accordance with the revision of the system for FFC. (from June 27 to July… more »