According to the latest MHLW notification, 61 batches of food products imported from 18 countries/regions were found non-compliant in April 2022. Among these products, the most non-compliant imported food came from China (25%), followed by America (16%) and Vietnam (15%).
Agricultural products (including processed agricultural products) still accounted for the majority of the overall rejection, representing nearly a half of the total rejection. The main unqualified categories in agricultural products are "prepared pulses", "Kashi (cake and confectioneries)" and "noodles, bread and similar preparations" representing 38%, 31%, and 15% respectively. Recently, the maximum residue limits of seven pesticides were revised in Japan. Enterprises should pay attention to the information, and make sure the pesticides in the food comply with Japanese regulatory requirements before export.
The main reasons for the rejections include:
Incorrect use of additives (27.8%)
Detection of microbial contamination (18%)
In addition, ChemLinked also found that Japan rejected one batch of food contact materials in April because of the excessive zinc level.