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Japan Proposes to Revise Sake Production Quality and Labeling Standards
On March 10, 2022, Japan issued an amendment for Sake Production Quality and Labeling Standards, which mainly revised the labeling requirement for sake. Any comments can be submitted before April 8, 2022. The main revisions are:
1. The manufacturing date of sake was amended as an optional labeling information, and the date of sealing or filling should be marked after the manufacturing date on the label of directly-sold sake containers or packaging;
2. The relevant labeling regulations for award-winning products are deleted from the optional labeling information;
3. Misleading terms such as "official recommendation" or "official award" are prohibited.
Japan Proposes to Revise Requirements for Beef Imported from Finland
On March 11, 2022, Japan issued an amendment for beef imported from Finland. According to the amendment, Finnish beef can be imported into Japan if it does not contain the following specific risk parts.
l The tonsils and ileum of all ages (limited to the part within 2 meters amay from the connection with the cecum)
l The head over 30 months old (excluding tongue, cheek meat, skin, and tonsils)
l Spinal and spina
Whether the amendment will be implemented or not remains to be discussed and negotiated. So far, only 16 countries are permitted to export beef to Japan under certain conditions. Finland, however, is not among them.
MHLW Approves Two Food Safety Review
On March 11, 2022, Japan MHLW announced two corn-related food that had passed the safety review procedures of the application for recombinant DNA technology.
Japan Revises the Residue Limits of 6 Pesticides in 36 kinds of food
On March 17, 2022, Japan MHLW released the amendment to Food and Food Additive Specification Standard. According to the amendment, the maximum residue limits (MRLs) for Clethodim, Fluazinam, Flutianil, Propargite, Mandipropamid, Metamifop were revised, involving 36 kinds of food. The amendment came into effect immediately after the promulgation.
On March 30, the MHLW issued an amendment for the Substance Test Method for Residual Pesticides, Feed Additives or Veterinary Drug Ingredients in Foods. According to the amendment, there are four test methods have been amended, involving Emamectin benzoate test methods (livestock product &aquatic product), Oxine-copper test methods (agricultural products), quinclorac test methods (livestock product), Fluensulfone test methods (agricultural products).
Japan Publicly Solicits Opinions on the Evaluation of Six Substances
In March 2022, the Japanese Food Safety Commission (JFSC) passed the food safety risk assessment for six substances and solicited opinions from the public on the safety assessment results. The details are as follows:
Date | Substances | Security risk assessments | Deadline |
Mar. 1 | It will not affect human health due to dietary intake. | Mar. 31, 2022 | |
Mar. 9 | α‐amylase (produced using JPBL007 strain) | It will not cause adverse effects on human health;
| Apr. 7, 2022 |
α‐amylase (produced using JPAN004 strain) | |||
An acute reference dose (ARfD:0.073 mg/kg) was specified; | |||
Mar. 23 | There is no damage to human health within the scope of current risk standard. | Apr. 21, 2022 | |
Five Products Granted Label Approval in March
In March 2022, the Consumer Affairs Agency of Japan unveiled a notice that two allergen/lactose-free foods, two thickening food and one nutritional food passed the CAA review and are allowed to be labeled as food for special dietary uses. The notice also published the labeling statement that is allowed to be marked.
The Japanese Market is Further Open to American Beef Due to the Beef Trade Agreement
On March 24, 2022, The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the United States and Japan have reached an agreement to increase the beef safeguard trigger level under the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement. Japan must meet all three triggers to implement safeguards and raise tariffs. The three triggers are:
1. Imports from the United States must exceed the original beef safeguard trigger level under the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement;
2. The aggregate volume of beef imports from the United States and the original signatories of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) must exceed the CPTPP beef safeguard; and
Imports from the United States must exceed the total amount of beef imports from the United States during the previous year.
Japan Revises the Labeling Standards for Nutrient Contents and Genetically Modified Foods
On March 30, 2022, the Consumer Affairs Agency, Government of Japan, issued an amendment to Food Labeling Standard. According to the amendment, the labeling requirements for nutrition, genetically modified food, and prohibited terms were revised. The amendment came into force since its publication on March 30, 2022.
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