Japan Rejects 83 Batches of Imported Food in December 2021

According to the latest MHLW notification, 83 batches of food products imported from 22 countries/regions were found non-compliant in December 2021. Among these products, 19 batches (23% of total rejections) were from China, and 10 batches (12% of total rejections) were from France.

Agricultural products, processed agricultural products, and processed sea food accounted for the majority of the overall rejection, representing 37.3%, 33.8%, and 9.6% respectively. In agricultural products, the main unqualified categories are "Kashi (cake and confectioneries)" and "vegetables".

Notably, six batches of Kashi were rejected due to the use of unpermitted additives. According to article 12 of the Food Sanitation Act, only the food additives that are defined in corresponding specifications/standards are permitted for use in foods. Among the six batches of food disclosed this time, "patent blue V" and "carminic acid aluminum lake" were detected, both of which were unpermitted additives.

The main reasons for the rejections include:

• Violation of food and additive standards (30%)

• Contains toxic or harmful substances (24%)

• Excessive pesticide residues (20%)

The most non-compliant reason is the violation of the food and additives standards, including violating the ingredients specification, manufacturing, using and storage standards.