Newsletter
Columns on Food Labeling/Regulations in Japan
Food Labelling and Digitalization —Global Regulatory Trends
The global landscape of food labelling has been evolving alongside advances in digital technology, and Japan is no exception: Related discussions are underway at the Consumer Affairs Agency’sSubcommittee Meeting to Study the Use of Digital Tools for Food Labelling (see our past article summarizing Japan’s approach to the digitalization of food labelling). Building on the… more »
Status of Amendments to the Japan’s Food Labelling System (2026) (Part 2)
(This is the sequel to Part 1 here.) Regarding the upcoming amendment to the Food Labelling Standards, public comments were solicited (from Dec 26, 2025, to Jan 30, 2026) on the Draft Cabinet Office Ordinance(details are here in Japanese). As the proposed amendments are extensive and complex, this article provides an overview of the key… more »
Status of Amendments to the Japan’s Food Labelling System (2026)
Following several amendments to food labelling regulations last year and more expected in 2026, in this article we will provide our readers with an updated overview of Japan’s food labelling system. Major Amendments in Recent Years First it is important to notice that in March 2025, three major amendments were implemented: Regarding the last one… more »
Draft Summary of Subcommittee Meeting to Study the Use of Digital Tools for Food Labelling (Japan)
On November 14, 2025, the 7th Subcommittee Meeting to Study the Use of Digital Tools for Food Labelling (Japanese) was held. A draft summary was presented at the meeting outlining the key issues surrounding this digital shift. Here are the key points from that summary worth noting. (Note: For the background of this review, please… more »
Amendment of South Korea’s Sodium and Sugars Reduction Labelling Standards
On October 20, 2025, South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) promulgated the Notification on Sodium and Sugars Reduction Labelling Standards (No. 2025-68). This amendment follows the partial amendment (Notification No. 2024-63) that came into effect on October 17, 2024. Notification No. 2025-68 further expands the scope of applicable foods and provides more… more »
1st Meeting on Foods with Nutrient Function Claims (FY2025), Japan – Review of Minimum and Maximum Permitted Levels and Functions of Nutrients
On October 8, 2025, the first meeting on Foods with Nutrient Function Claims (FNFC) (FY2025) (Japanese) was held.This fiscal year’s meeting will focus on two main issues: the minimum and maximum permitted levels, and the functions of nutrients. In this article, I would like to outline the background of the review of the FNFC system… more »
Amendments to the labelling requirements for the “free of sugars” claim in Canada
Following the public consultation held from January 17 to April 2, 2025, Health Canada announced amendments to the requirements for the use of the claim “free of sugars”, effective September 2, 2025. Summary I would like to hereby summarize the background of Nutrition Labelling based on the Table of Permitted Nutrient Content Statements and Claims… more »
Partial Amendment to Japan’s Food Labelling Standards Announced (FFC update!)
On October 1, 2025, the Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) announced a partial amendment to the Food Labelling Standards and related regulations. Among the claims that were previously prohibited from emphasizing ingredients other than functional ingredients, certain wordings indicating the absence or non-addition of specific ingredients (e.g. “no XX added”, “does not contain XX”) will be… more »
1st Discussion of the year on Japan’s Front of Package Nutrition Labelling : (Summer 2025)
On July 29, 2025, the 1st Discussion on Japan’s Front of Package Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL) 2025 (in Japanese) was held and the guidelines for Japan’s FOPNL (draft) (in Japanese) were presented. As part of our on-going efforts to report on the situation, we would like to outline the labelling methods for Japan’s front of package… more »
U.S. FDA to Revoke 52 Standards of Identity for Food Products
On July 16, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the final rule eliminating 52 Standards of Identity (SOI). These standards were deemed “outdated,” and the rule aims to reduce unnecessary regulations while increasing flexibility for the food industry. The SOIs establish food standards such as the minimum fruit content in jam. Since… more »
