Takehome:
- The specifications and standards for food additives under “Food Sanitation Act of Japan” will be revised, including the establishment of specifications for 89 existing food additives and the revision of specifications for heavy metals and 77 designated additives.
On Dec. 16, 2016, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan (MHLW) preannounced the revision of specifications and standards for food additives under “Food Sanitation Act of Japan”, which is open for public consultation until Feb. 14, 2017.
Main changes are listed as below:
- The compositional specifications for 89 existing food additives (of which 62 are enzymes) have been established, including caffeine, grape seed extract, phytic acid, welan gum, etc.
- The specifications for heavy metals have been revised. The modification is targeted at 353 designated additives 127 existing food additives, 3 ordinary foods used as food additives. In addition, the specifications for baking powder have been modified.
- The standards for manufacturing of talc and enzymes have been established.
- The specifications for 77 designated additives have been amended, which aims to improve test procedures and increase the accuracy of testing.