On July 13, 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan announced three amendments to Japanese agriculture standards (JAS) related to fruit juice and beverage, namely Japanese Agriculture Standards for Carrot Juice and Carrot Mixed Juice, Japanese Agriculture Standards for Pure Apple Juice not From Concentrate, and Japanese Agriculture Standards for Fruit Juices and Nectars. These standards include the scope of application, normative references, terms and definitions, product quality, test methods, and label requirements. The consultation period for the above consultation documents is before August 11, 2022.
Revisions
Carrot (Mixed) Juice:
Added normative references for carrot (mixed) juice, including CODEX STAN 192, JIS K 0557 and JIS R 3505;
Revised the classification of carrot (mixed) juice and the determination method for total carotene in the product;
Pure Apple Juice not From Concentrate:
Added JIS K 0557 as a normative reference for the Standard;
Revise the test methods for sugar and acidity of the finished product;
If the raw materials of apple juice come from a specific certified place of origin, the label must be marked with "using apple from XX (place name/country name)" or similar terms.
Fruit Juices and Nectars:
Added eight normative references for fruit juice and nectars, involving CODEX STAN 192, JIS K 0114, IFFJP No.5:1968 Determination of volatile acids, and IFFJP No.51:1983 Determination of Alcohol, etc.
Added the definitions of granule and vegetable juice;
Concentrated fruit juice used as raw materials shall not be added with sugar, honey, or additives;
Except for the items stipulated in the Food Labeling Standards, the product packaging of concentrated juice must be marked with nine basic information, including name, shelf life, storage method, raw materials, additives, enterprise information, country of origin, concentration, and content. In addition, it stipulates the labeling method of concentrated juice. For example: "Concentrated Citrus unshiu" as a raw material must be marked as "Citrus unshiu".