Japan Rejects 51 Batches of Imported Food in January 2022

According to the latest MHLW notification, 51 batches of food products imported from 13 countries/regions were found non-compliant in January 2022.

Among these products, most non-compliant imported food in January came from China (mostly agricultural products), followed by Vietnam (mostly prepared or preserved fish and shellfish) and South Korea (mostly fish and shellfish). Notably, agricultural products account for the majority (54.8%)of the overall rejections.

The main reasons for the rejections include:

• Violation of food and additive standards (47%)

• Excessive pesticide residues (19%)

• Detection of toxic or harmful substances (12%)

• Spoilage or unripeness(10%)

In addition, ChemLinked also found that Japan rejected four batches of food contact materials in January. Among them, three batches were found to be unqualified due to the excessive lead level.