Japan Establishes Maximum Limit Standards for PFOS and PFOA in Mineral Water

On June 30, 2025, Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) issued an amendment to the Specifications and Standards for Food, Food Additives, Etc. The revision establishes a combined maximum limit of 0.00005 mg/L for PFOS and PFOA in sterilized or disinfected mineral water.

Background recap: Click here to review Japan's regulatory actions on PFAS in mineral water.

For mineral water products that are not sterilized or disinfected (excluding those with internal carbon dioxide pressure of 98 kPa or higher at 20°C), Japan’s manufacturing standards stipulate that the source water must not contain anthropogenic environmental contaminants. PFOS and PFOA fall under this category.

Therefore, the same PFOS and PFOA limit set for sterilized mineral water (combined 0.00005 mg/L) is considered an appropriate reference value for non-sterilized products as well.

The regulation takes effect on the date of the notification (June 30, 2025). However, products manufactured or imported before March 31, 2026 may continue to be processed, used, cooked, stored, or sold in accordance with the previous standards.

Quick Q&A on Japan's PFOS/PFOA Standards

*Excerpted from the CAA's "Q&A on Standards for PFOS and PFOA in Mineral Water"

1. How are PFOS and PFOA regulated in drinking water overseas?

There is no internationally unified standard for PFAS levels in drinking water. Each country, region, or organization sets its own limits based on its respective risk assessments and regulatory approaches. In the United States, no PFAS limits have been established for mineral water. The regulations apply only to tap water supplies.

Country/Region	Target	Regulation	Content
Japan	Tap water	Drinking Water Quality Standards	Combined limit for PFOS and PFOA at 50 ng/L
Japan	Mineral water	Specifications and Standards for Food, Food Additives, Etc	Combined limit for PFOS and PFOA at 50 ng/L
Codex Alimentarius	/	/	/
EU	Water intended for human consumption	Directive(EU) 2020/2184	PFAS Total: 500 ng/L Sum of PFAS: 100 ng/L
US	Drinking water	National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR)on April 10, 2024	4.0 ng/L for PFOS and PFOA
WHO	Drinking water	PFOS and PFOA in Drinking-water, Background document for development of WHO Guidelines for Drinking water Quality, 29 September 2022, Version for public review	The provisional guideline values are proposed as 100 ng/L for PFOS and PFOA, and 500 ng/L for all PFAS.

2. Are PFOS and PFOA limits not established for soft drinks other than mineral water?

For soft drinks other than mineral water, Japan's manufacturing standards under the Food Sanitation Act require that the water used as a raw material must comply with either the standards for tap water or those for mineral water.

Therefore, the water used in soft drink production must meet the relevant PFOS and PFOA standards set for either tap water or mineral water.

3. Are PFOS and PFOA regulatory limits not applied to water used in food manufacturing?

Water used in food manufacturing, as defined under the Food Sanitation Act, is used for purposes such as washing and cooling food during production, processing, or cooking. Since it is not intended for direct consumption as a substitute for drinking water, PFOS and PFOA limits are not established at this time.

4. Have regulatory limits not been established for PFAS other than PFOS and PFOA?

At present, Japan has not established limits for PFAS other than PFOS and PFOA due to insufficient scientific data for risk evaluation.