Japan Rejects 83 Batches of Imported Food in November 2021

83 batches of imported food from 23 countries/regions failed to export to Japan in November 2021. Agricultural products account for the largest proportion of the non-compliant imported food. The main reason for rejection was the violation of food and additive standards.

According to the latest MHLW notification, 83 batches of food products imported from 23 countries/regions were found non-compliant in November 2021. Among these products, nearly a quarter of them came from China.

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Besides, (processed) agricultural products accounted for the majority (65%) of the overall rejection in November. Among them, the main unqualified categories are "prepared pulses" and "miscellaneous grains".

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Notably, the "fresh flax seed" was found in the list of non-compliant imported food due to the cyanide content reaching 160 mg/kg. In Japan, the cyanide content in raw flax seed shall not exceed 10ppm, otherwise it will be seen as a violation of the Food Sanitation Law. In addition to raw flax seeds, the standard value mentioned above also apply to processed flax seeds, including heat-processed flax seed-related products (flax seeds & flax meals).

The main reasons for the rejections include:

Violation of food and additive standards (48%)
Contains toxic or harmful substances (27%)
Excessive pesticide residues (14%)

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