Regulation of Food Additives in Japan

Abstract

In Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) introduced a designation system for food additives when they implemented the Food Sanitation Law. Currently, all food additives are classified into four groups: designated food additives; existing food additives; natural flavoring; and food/food ingredients used as additives. In the process of designating food additives, the safety and effectiveness of the food additives are scientifically confirmed and MHLW must seek advice from the Food Safety Commission Japan (FSCJ) concerning their potential health effects. The FSCJ conducts a scientific health risk assessment and establishes an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for each additive. All designated additives and some existing food additives are currently regulated by certain specifications and/or standards, including those concerning the chemical and physical characteristics of the additive, as well as its manufacturing, storage, and use. These specifications and standards, along with the specifications for labeling and storage, are published in an official compilation entitled, “Japan’s Specifications and Standards for Food Additives”. To ensure that the daily intake of food additives is below the standard for use level, we estimate the daily intake of food additives using the market basket method every year.