Food Labeling System in Japan_2013

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October 29 2013
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Agency, Food Labeling Division
Copyright 2013 by Consumer Affairs Agency, Government of JAPAN
Published by National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards, THAILAND

Consumer Affairs
Agency (CAA)
• An external organ of
the Cabinet Office
• Established on
September 1, 2009
2

Division
Prime Minister
Minister of State
for Consumer General Affairs Division
Policy Coordination Division
Affairs
Senior Vice-Minister
Policy Planning and
International Affairs Division
Parliamentary Secretary
of Cabinet Office
Consumer Information Division
Local p
Cooperation Division
CAA Secretary General Consumer Safety Division
Deputy Secretary General
Director General Commercial Business and
Price Regulation Division
Counselor
(3)
Representation Division
Food Labeling Division
3

Contents
Ⅰ．Overview of the Food Labeling System
Ⅱ．Main Items in Current Food Label
ⅢⅢ．Perspective of a new Food Labeling Law
4

Ⅰ．Overview of the Food Labeling
System
5

Food Labeling System
Currents Acts Concerning Food Labeling in Japan
Food Sanitation Act・・・・・・・prevents health harms caused by food insanitation.
JAS・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・provides proper labeling on ingredients, origin and quality to consumers.
Health Promotion Act・・・・・・promotes the health of Japanese through improving nutrition intake, etc.
Relation of JAS, Food Sanitation Act, and Health
Promotion Act
An Example of Food Label
JAS Food
N S k
Sanitation Act
Food
Selection Name of food
Food Safety
Name Snack
Ingredients potato (non GM), plant fat and
oil, salt, dextrin, lactose, protein hydrolysate (including
wheat), powdered yeast extract, powdered soy
sauce, powdered fish extract (including crab and
Expiration date
Instructions on
Ingredients Allergy
Weight keeping
shrimp), flavors, seasoning (amino acid, etc.), egg shell
calcium
Content Best-before date Labeling on the right side
Storage
Keep away from direct sunlight, heat and moisture.
method
Country/Place
of origin
Food additives
p g
GMO
Name of
g
*39 refers to unique processing facility code
Distributor
manufacturers
etc.
Health Promotion Act
Main Nutritional Components per bag (81g) (private analysis)
Energy 483 kcal
Protein 3.8 g
Fat 35.3 g
Carbohydrate
Sodium
Salt equivalence
（e.g. Nutrition Labeling, food for special
dietary uses ）
6
*nutritional labeling is voluntary.

Establish quality labeling standards of all food and
Health Establish labeling standards of special use and
Food Labeling Standard
beverages to be observed by manufacturers, etc.
Label of Food for
Special Dietary Uses
nutrition facts for comprehensive promotion of
citizens’ health .
Food for Specified Health Uses
（Individual Approval Type）
Food for Special Dietary Uses
JAS
Promotion Act
Quality labeling standard
food
Quality labeling standard
+=
Need to indicate the health uses Need to indicate the special uses
for perishable Food thapt earrei snhoat bplreo cfeososded such
as agricultural products
(vegetables, fruits), livestock
products (meet, eggs), marine
products (fish shell)
for processed food
Foods that are altered from fresh
foods through manufacturing
process.
Nutrition Labeling
Voluntary labeling
（energy＋nutrients＋
fish, shell).
Quality labeling standard for GM food
“GMO” needs to be indicated for every processed food or agricultural product
such as soybean and corn that have been genetically modified,
Nutrient Function Claims
（Standard Type）
major others）
Food Sanitation Provide standards of labeling of food and
（12 Vitamins, 5 minerals）
additives supplied for sales.
Act
Items subject to the Act
Milk and such dairy products as
butter, cheese, and ice cream etc.
・Margarine, soft drinks, meat products
・Fish ham, fish sausages, whale
bacon, frozen foods
・Retort pouch foods
・MMeeaatt、rraaww sslliicceedd oorr ssttrriippppeedd sseeaaffoooodd
・Packaged processed foods
・Unpackaged raw meat
7

Current Food Labeling System
• CAA is responsible to all kinds of administrative work regarding to labeling regulation regarding JAS, Food
Sanitation Act and Health Promotion Act.
• CAA is also mandated to draft and introduce legislation regarding labeling standards.
• CAA has fine collaboration with other relevant ministries and a commission for the enforcement
CAA C
Legislation
Consumers
Commission
○ Provide Consult Inquire
○ Draft and introduce legislation regarding
labeling standards
advice
before promulgation of
a new standard.
Ministry of
Request
○ Inspect and
deliberate about
function and safety of
Reply
Labor, Health
and Welfare
Enforcement
foods for special dietary
Ministry of uses
Agriculture,
Forestry,
○ On-site inspection, Advise
and Fisheries
Request
○ Commandment to operators
Approval of
Foods for Special Dietary Uses
8

Ⅱ． Main Items in
Current Food Label

Labeling of Perishable 生Fo鮮od食品の表示について
＜Labeling Information of Perishable Food＞
Name General name of the food
ONION FROM HOKKAIDO
1 PACK
Place
Agricultur
al Foods
Domestic products: name of prefecture
Import product: name of export country
Livestock
Foods
Domestic products: indicate that it is domestic
of
Origin
Marine
Foods
Domestic products: indicate the region or area of the sea that it
has been produced
(in case that it is difficult to indicate the area of sea, it is allowed to
use the name of prefecture that it has been unloaded)
At t il t d i i f f d h ld b i di t d b ith
CLAM FROM KUMAMOTO
retail stores, name and origin of food should be indicated by either
one of the following ways:
・to label on an easy-to-see place of a package
・to post a notice at a place close to the product
・to display elsewhere that is easy to see
10

加工食品の表示について
＜Main items for labeling on a package of
Labeling of Processed Foods
Processed Foods＞
Name ・・・・
Ingredients ・・・・
Weight
・・・・
Expiration date
・・・・
Instructions on keeping
・・・・
Name and address of manufacturer
・・・・
Allergy information ・・・・
Country of origin （imported case）
・・・・
Origin of raw material
・・・・
GMO
・・・・
… STEW
Nutritional information
・・・・
Mandatory Partially
mandatory Voluntary
11

Labeling of Food Additives
添加物表示について
○ As a principle, all additives used in the food are listed in “substance name .
name”.
Labeling Examples
Ingredients： flour, sugar, vegetable oil (soybean included), egg, almond, butter, isomerized
glucose syrup, powdered skim milk, liqueur, starch, sorbitol, leavening
( ) ( )
＜Exception＞
Labeling of
collective term
agent, flavor, emulsifier, colorings caramel, carotene), antioxidants vitamin E, vitamin C) Use listed
together
E ti f dditi i f ti Listing of Additives
Collective
t b
• Food additive often become effective when multiple additives are combined.
• Thus, use of collective term is accepted as it will achieve the purpose of labeling for additives for which
there is little need for listing all substance terms and because they are resident components in food.
i i li i d h h ddi i li d i h i d f h h
Flavor, yeast food, gum base,
brine water, enzyme, gloss agent,
tofu
Exception for additives information g
term can be
used
• However, it is limited to the case when additives listed in the notice are used for purposes that meet the
provided definition.
E.g.: “gum base” not for swallowing, “flavors” that are usually used in combination and the added
amount is very small, and “amino acid” that is a resident component
acidulant, seasoning, coagulant, bittering agent,
emulsifier, pH adjuster, leavening
agent, flexibilizer
Term for the When it is more likely to gain consumers consumers’ understanding by listing purpose of use and effects of
Preservative, sweetener, coloring,
purpose listed
together
additives in which consumers have much interest, they will be listed together.
E.g.: preservative sorbic acid), sweetener (saccharin sodium)
thickener, antioxidant, coloring
substance, decolorant, fungicide
Labeling exempted Food additives that are not remaining in the final food or that have no effect or are not expected to have
effects on the final food as it is in small quantity although it is remaining are exempt from labeling.
Processing aids, carryover,
nutrition enriching substance
12

Labeling of GMO 遺伝子組換え食品の表示について
○ 8 kinds of agricultural products and their processed foods including GMO are required to notify, mandatorily, “GMO” or
“ ” ”
GMO is not separated”, and, voluntary, “ non-GMO”.
＜How to label GMO product＞
「
＜8 Agricultural Products Required for
GMO Labeling＞
Soybean（GMO）」
「SSoybbean ((GGMMOO iis nott separattedd))」
・Soybean
・Corn
・Potato
Alf lf
＜ How to label non-GMO product＞
「Soybean (non-GMO）」
「Soybean（non-GMO is sorted）」
・Alfalfa
・Sugar beet
・Rape seed
・Cotton seed
P
p ＞
Name Tofu Name Miso ( rice)
・Papaya
Examples
)
Ingredients Soybean （non-GMO）,
・・・・・・
Weight ・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・・
Ingredients Soybean （ GMO is not separated) ,
・・・・・・
Weight ・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・
13

Labeling of Expi期ra限tio表n D示a（t消e （費U期s限ed・-賞by味 D期ate限・）にBeつstい Bてefore Date)
Meaning Product Examples
Best Best-to-Eat Period
Period that the overall expected quality can sufficiently retain
Snack, cup ramen, can
Before
Date
p q y y
if preserved properly.
However, the quality can still retain even after that period.
Lunch box, sandwich, side dish
Used-by
Date
Should not eat after the period
Period that the food safety, i.e. not rotten nor deteriorate,
is guaranteed if preserved properly.
, ,
＜Image of Best Before Date and Used-by Date＞
Long lasting food
Best-to-eat period
quality
Easily-rotten food
Still eatable
Should not eat
after this period
Used-by Date Days after
manufactured
Best before Date
14 Copyright 2013 by Consumer Affairs Agency, Government of JAPAN

Ⅲ． Perspective of a new Food
Labeling Law
15

一元化Context のof 必要性及びintegration 経of 緯
laws regarding food label
How can we make food labels easier to understand?
The present food labeling system is
regulated by many laws.
Iss es in
(multiple selection)
77.1 表示に用いる言葉は統一して、わかりや
すUくn整if理y しteてr欲miしnoいlogies and
simplify labels
Issues in…
Inconsistency of terminologies
Complication from diversified regulations
42.1
34.2
文字が小さくて見えにくいので、もっと大き
Enlarge the font size. Current one
くして欲しい
is too small and hard to read
Put information as much as
できるだけ多くの情報を記載して欲しい
possible
15.2
2 8 • misunderstandings 食品に記載される情報が多すぎるため、
商品選択に最も資する情報に限定して記
Limit information to those that
are useful for selection, for
currently there are too much
その他
載して欲しい
information on the food products.
lead to
of consumers
• loading manufactures with additional
compliance cost
2.8
N=1,807
0 20 40 60 80
（％）
Others
From “Survey of Consumer Sentiment toward Food Labeling”, Life Quality Monitoring
Survey in 2008, conducted by Cabinet Office, Department of Life Quality
In September 2009, the Japanese Government established the Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA).
CAA is responsible for all laws and regulations regarding food labeling, based on Food Sanitation Act,
JAS JAS, and Health Promotion Act
Act.
It enables integrated operations for consumer administration regarding food labeling conducted at different ministries
16
In July 2011, Consumer Master Plan was promulgated.
It attempts to introduce integrated food labeling laws within the fiscal year 2012.

Current Laws regarding Food Labeling
F Food dS it ti Sanitation A Act t p Japan g
Agricultural H lthP ti A t
Standard Act* Health Promotion Act
【Purpose】
• To prevent the sanitation hazards
【Purpose 】
• To improve quality of agricultural and
products
【Purpose 】
• To improve nutritional status and
resulting from eating and drinking
forestry •To help consumers choose products
by enforcing proper quality labeling of
them
promote health
•Establishment of the necessary
criteria for the labeling of food to
serve for the purpose of marketing
( Article 19)
• Enactment of labeling standards to
be observed by Manufacturer, etc.
(Article 19-13)
• Compliance with Standards for
• Enactment of nutrition labeling
standards (Article 31)
• Compliance with Standards
Concern
food labe
)
• Enforcing the regulations
concerning Food and
Additi A t d C t i
p
Quality Labeling (Article 19-13-2) (Article 31-2)
etc.
ning
eling
Additives, Apparatus and Containers
and Packaging
• Prohibition of the sales for the
products which do not conform to
the standards and/or criteria
• Enactment of Japanese Agricultural
Standards
G di i d ih
• Set a general policies
• Implementation of the national
health and nutrition survey
• Prevention of passive smoking
• License pertaining Other
concerns
•Giving approval to a person who
intends to conduct business from the
prefectural governor
• Grading in accordance with
Japanese Agricultural Standards
etc.
to Food for
Special Dietary Uses
etc.
*A t St d di ti d P Q lit L b li f A i lt l d F t P d t
17
Act on Standardization and Proper Quality Labeling of Agricultural and Forestry Products

平成25年６月
Scope of the new Food 食品Labeling 表示Act 法の（概要promulgated in June 201消費3）者庁
In order to secure the food safety and ensure general consumers spontaneous and
rational food choices,
a comprehensive and integrated framework which is to coordinate all regulations
regarding food labeling stipulated in Food Sanitation Acts, JAS, and Health
Promotion Act is established.
（A mandatory framework of the present voluntary nutrition labeling system is also planned to be established.)
Consistent labelling standards
Easy-to-understand labels both for consumers and manufuctures
Health promotion through daily management of diet and nutrition intakes
Effective and efficient enforcement of relevant laws
18
ect e a d e c e t e o ce e t o e e a t a s

Summary of the Food Labelling Act
Objectives
○Objectives （Article 1）
・Safety of food consumption
・Guarantee of the opportunity that consumers have
in selecting food products independently and
rationally
○Fundamental Rationale（Article 3）
・Respect of consumers’ rights and support of
consumers’ independency
・Consideration of small enterprises in the food‐related
industry
19

Food Labelling Standard
（Article 4）
The Prime Minister shall determine the food labeling
standard
① Name, allergen, preservation, use by
date, ingredients, additives, amount and calories of
nutrition, places of origin, and other matters that
should be indicated
② The standard that food‐related business operators
should comply with in labelling the product
CCoommpplliiaannccee wwiitthh tthhee SSttaannddaarrdd
（Article 5）
Food‐related business operators shall have an
bli i l b lf d l i i h h d d
20
obligation to label food, complying with the standard

Instructions and orders
（Articles 6, 7）
○Prime Minister (all kinds), Minister of
A i lt F t d Fi h i ll ki d th th
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries ( all kinds other than
alcoholic beverages), Minister of Finance (alcoholic
beverages)
‐ An instruction expressing matters that are and are to be
indicated shall be issued to an operator who violates the
standard
○Prime Minister ～In the case of non‐compliance with
the instruction, order
○Prime Minister ～In the case of urgent necessity, an
order of withdrawal of food or termination of business
○I t ti d d h ll b d bli l
21
Instructions and orders shall be made publicly

On-site Inspection
（Articles 8-10）
Where an investigation of violations is necessary,
～ on‐site inspection, collection of report, an order of
submitting documents, questioning, removal
22

Report to the Prime Minister （Articles 11, 12）
○ Where a food label is inappropriate, violating
consumers’ rights, all persons may
～ report to the Prime Minister and others
The Prime Ministers and others shall make necessary
investigations. Where the report is true, necessary
measures shall be taken.
○ The rights to demand an injunction where indicated
contents are or may be clearly false
（Qualified consumer organization ～Similar to Act on
Specified Commercial Transactions, Premium Labelling Act）
23

Penal provisions （Articles 17-23）
Penal provisions in the case of violations of the food
labelling standard (indication about safety, places of
origin of ingredients and raw materials), violations of
orders and other
Supplementary provisions
○effective date ～shall be effective no late than
two years after the date of promulgation
24

Overvi食ew品表of示 th法e制 n定ewに伴Foうo表d示 L基ab準eのlin移g 行Acにt ついて（イメージ）
Food Sanitation Act ＪＡＳ
Health Promotion
Act
The new Food Labeling Law
Cabinet Office Ordinance Nutrition labeling
standards （notice）
Quality labeling standards for processed food
（notice）
・Name
I di
Food labeling standards
（Cabinet Office Ordinance）
・Name
・Name
・Used-by date,
Best before date
M f t d
・Nutritional value
labeling
・Nutrition claims
・Ingredients
・Weights
・Used-by date, Best before date
・Preservation
・Place of Origin （import product）
・Place of Origin of ingredients （required
・Origin（perishables）
・Ingredients
・Allergen
・GMO labeling
・Manufacturer name and Additi
address
etc.
・Additives
・Allergy labeling
・Instruction on keeping
g g q
products）
・Manufacturer name and address
・Font size for labeling etc.
Quality labeling standards for
・Additives
・Weights
・Used-by date, best before date
・Instruction on keeping
・Place of Origin
etc.
perishable foods （notice）
・Name
・Origin etc.
Quality labeling standards for
GMO d （）
（import product）
・Place of Origin of ingredients
・Manufacturer name and
address
・Items labeling, and
products（notice）
・labeling required items, how to label etc.
for nutrition instruction for the labeling
・Font size for labeling
etc.
25

P
Punishme
O
Orders
In
ent
nstructio
On
ons
n-site inspection
V
n, collection of re
Violations
eports, orders of
s of the s
Food-rela
omply w
T
食品表示法のスキーム
F
c
Scheme of the Food Labelling Act
Ord
the
ers reca
product
alling
document subm Where urgent
standard
ated man
with the s
The Prim
d
nufacture
standard.
e Ministe
necessity to prevent the
harms to life and bodies
ission, etc. there is es have
.
er formu
an obliga
lates the
ation to
e standa
rd.
・violations of indication about safety
26
・false indication of the place of origin

Double track in monitoring food labelling
A suit by consumer organization (a demand for injunction) The report system
Where a food label is
inappropriate, violating consumers’
Existence of victims who are consumers (violations of the food labelling standard)
non-negotiation by qualified consumer
Improvement of
rights, all persons may report The non judicial organizations
Non-judicial reconciliation
business
An investigation by the Prime Minister
A written demand to relevant operators by qualified consumer organizations
Improvement of
One week of the grace period and others
Filing of a suit by qualified consumer organizations
business
If the report is true, appropriate
measures shall be taken, which
include, among others,
h i i i di i ifi i
Judgment, judicial reconciliation
Improvement of
business
27
・the instruction indicating rectification
to food-related business operators
・revision of the standard
publication

２５．９．２０財務省主税局説明資料Timeline for implementation of a new food labelling system (proposal）
F
25.6 Until 27.6 The timing of introduction of the
Deliberati
Draft the
legislation
Food Labellin
Enforcem
Promulga
Introduce
legislatio
No than two years
mandatory food labelling will be
determined based on the progress of
the environmental improvement,
while aiming to approx. five years
after the enforcement of the new
ion
n
ng Act
Ca
im
Fo
ment
ation
the
on
C
late P
law.
Draft of the order
abinet order on
mplementation
od Labeling Ac
Enforc
Completion
Disseminating
period
Period of transitional
Promulgatio
Mandato
Draft of the standard
n
of
ct
Cabinet
Ordinan
Labeling
cement
Prom
of transitio
measures
1‐2 yrs（P）
indicated
separatedly
Disseminating
period
on
ory Nutrition
t Office
nce on Food
g Regulations
mulgation
n
Deliberation on the
mandatory nutrition labeling
n Labeling
Other m
Further Issues:
28
matters
・Labelling on ready‐to‐eat food and in a restaurant (e.g. labelling for food allergy), and in the Internet sales
・Labelling of genetically modified food and food adictives
Copyright 2013 by CAA, JAPAN ・Labelling of country of origin for the ready‐to‐eat food

For further Information of the Food Labeling System
LAND
CAA Homepage
「食品表示に関する制度」(Food Labeling System)
ndards, THAIL
http://www.caa.go.jp/foods/index.html
（Mostly Japanese only）
t of JAPAN
and Food Stan
y, Government
al Commodity a
Affairs Agency
of Agricultura
Consumer A
tional Bureau
ght 2013 by
hed by Nat
Copyrig
Publish
29

Lastly
THANK YOU
30
Copyright 2013 by Consumer Affairs Agency, Government of JAPAN Official mascot of Consumer Affairs Agency

Food Labeling System in Japan_2013

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