Japan Updates the Requirements of Dairy Products’ Sanitary Certificates

On May 12, 2020, Japan MHLW announced that imported dairy and dairy products must be attached with sanitary certificates issued by the exported countries/regions based on the amendment to “Food Hygiene Law." This requirement will come into effect on June 1 this year ^[1].

Currently, Japan accepts sanitary certificates issued by the following 33 countries/regions:

Sanitary certificates are mandatory for the importation of the following dairy products.

Dairy:

Raw milk, cow’s milk, special cow’s milk, raw goat milk, sterilized goat milk, raw sheep milk, composition-adjusted milk, low-fat milk, fat-free milk, processed milk

Dairy products

Light cream, butter, cheese (excluding processed cheese), condensed whey, concentrated milk, concentrated skim milk, sugar-free condensed milk, sugar-free condensed skimmed milk, sweetened condensed milk, sweetened condensed skimmed milk, whole milk powder, cream powder, whey powder, concentrated whey protein powder, buttermilk powder, sweetened milk powder, fermented milk.

On the same day, MHLW announced that the specification standard of buffalo milk would be newly included in the "Provincial Order of Dairy and Dairy Products’ Composition Specification" ^[2], and this regulation will be revised on June 1 this year. After the amendment, imported raw buffalo milk and dairy products using raw buffalo milk as raw materials are required to attach related sanitary certificates after June 1, 2020.