The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) launched its annual imported foods inspection orders on April 3rd, which lists high risk food items with a history of frequent compliance/safety violations. Several flavorings, nuts, beans etc. are targeted in the inspection orders. The following table lists food items and target country of origin.
Targeted country | Food item subject to inspection orders | Preconditions | Inspection item | Reasons for implementation of inspection |
All exporting countries | Blow fish | Only when heterogeneous blow fishes are found | Identification of fish type | Poisonous blowfish |
Ikura | - | Nitrite | The volume of nitrite found to exceed 0.0050g/kg | |
Dried common fig fruit | - | Total volume of aflatoxin (B1, B2, G1, G2 included) | The total volume of aflatoxin found to exceed 10μg/kg | |
Cassava and its processed products (starch excluded) | - | Chloride | Chloride tested positive | |
Beans containing chloride | - | Chloride | Chloride tested positive | |
Pistachio | Those produced in Iran, Turkey and America | Total volume of aflatoxin (B1, B2, G1, G2 included) | The total volume of aflatoxin found to exceed 10μg/kg | |
Brazil nut, maize, apricot kernel, walnut, Chile peppercorn, red peppercorn, nutmeg, and coix lacryma-jobi | - | Total volume of aflatoxin (B1, B2, G1, G2 included) | The total volume of aflatoxin found to exceed 10μg/kg | |
Mixed spices, mixed nuts | Only when 10% or more peanut, pistachio, Brazil nut, maize, red peppercorn, nutmeg and coix lacryma-jobi are contained respectively or totally | Total volume of aflatoxin (B1, B2, G1, G2 included) | The total volume of aflatoxin found to exceed 10μg/kg | |
Peanut and its processed products (limited to products containing 10% or more peanut) | - | Total volume of aflatoxin (B1, B2, G1, G2 included) | The total volume of aflatoxin found to exceed 10μg/kg | |
Ammonium bicarbonate and products containing it | Limited to ammonium that produced by BROADTECH CHEMICAL INTERNATIONAL CO.,LTD | Melamine | Melamine usage |
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