November 2006
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November 2006
Extract from the Report of the 15th Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Asia, Seoul , Korea , 21 - 24 November 2006 (See http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/report/664/al30_15e.pdf )
Japan has signed economic partnership agreements (EPA) with Singapore , Malaysia and Mexico and is negotiating similar agreements with several other countries, mainly in Asia . In view of some difficulties to discuss food safety matters with relevant experts in those countries, Japan encourages food safety experts in the region to get involved in the EPA negotiations when food safety issues are on the agenda. As regards Codex, coordination is carried out by a Consultative Committee consisting of representatives of ministries, industry and consumers.
Japan establishes or revises food control measures based on Codex standards and related texts as a member of WTO. Japan considers that it is not practical to simply categorize the application of such standards and related texts as use or non-use for the following reasons: there are thousands of numerical standards such as MRLs and it is heavy work for member countries to inform other members of use or non-use of each MRL; and so-called process or system standards such as Principles for Traceability/Product Tracing are applied by member countries as appropriate according to their situation.
2001
Food safety administration
Food safety activities are administered at the central and local government levels. At the central level, the Ministry of Health and Welfare prepares and enforces regulations, standards, specifications and modifications related to food sanitation; studies food hygiene problems; supervises food safety administration at the local level; and inspects imported foods at 19 ports/airports. The organization of food safety administration at the central level includes the following:
The Food Sanitation Division is responsible for the sanitary inspection of food while the Veterinary Sanitation Division is primarily engaged in the inspection of dairy and meat products. The food Chemistry Division is primarily concerned with food additives and pesticide residues. The Office of Port Health Administration under the Food Sanitation Division is responsible for the sanitary inspection of imported foods. There are 15 food inspection divisions and 4 branches or detached offices serving as port quarantine stations.
The Food Sanitation Investigation Council, provided for under the Food Sanitation Law, is an advisory committee to the Minister of Health and Welfare and is composed of experts on food sanitation who review food safety problems and cases of food poisoning.
Establishment of food standards and studies on official analytical methods are carried out at the National Institute of Hygienic Sciences, which is primarily responsible for the chemical analysis of food and biological and toxicological studies concerning food safety, and at the National Institute of Health, which is responsible for the microbiological analysis of food. The National Institute of Public Health is responsible for the training of food sanitation inspectors.
The National Institute of Hygienic Sciences has been collaborating in the Joint WHO/FAO/UNEP food contamination monitoring programme since August 1977.
At the local government level, health authorities exist at 47 prefectures and 31 cities and about 850 health centres. Each health authority has assigned food sanitation inspectors who inspect establishments which manufacture, process, sell or serve food. Local governments are also responsible for ordinances under the Food Sanitation Law and for the establishment of standards for business facilities, food handling and licensing.
Administrative guidance is given by the central government for the observance of guidelines for the handling, manufacture, storage and transport of various foods, including those from vending machines and box lunches, and for the observance of provisional standards for PCB residues in fish and shellfish, milk and milk products, meat, eggs and packaging materials. A local government food safety organization usually includes:
Several measures are taken to promote satisfactory standards of food safety. Prefectural governments provide food sanitation training courses for food handlers. In addition, a food sanitation week is observed annually.
Adequate management of abattoir facilities and of the slaughter of animals is controlled by the Slaughter-House Law. National codes of practice have been established for the handling, storage, transport and sale of red meat, poultry, fish and crustacea; safety of food in national and International trade; and food service hygiene in travel catering. A Shellfish Agreement exists between the United States Public Health Service and the Japanese Government on the acceptability of such foods.
National food contamination monitoring programmes are routinely performed. About 80 000 food samples, comprising rice, fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, milk, eggs, fish, etc., are analyzed each year. Large food processing plants maintain their own laboratories to ensure the safety and quality of their products. Other plants may make use of laboratories designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
There are about 80 food sanitation inspectors at the central level and 6700 at the local level. Some 2500 veterinary inspectors of the local government inspect and examine animals in 470 public and private abattoirs.
Food sanitation inspectors are graduates of medicine, pharmacy, veterinary science, animal husbandry, agricultural/fishery science, or nutrition, with more than two years experience in food sanitation administrative work, or graduates of training institutes for food sanitation inspectors authorized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
At the central level, food analysis is conducted by the laboratories of the National Institute of Health and the National Institute of Hygienic Sciences. Laboratories of the health centres and the public health laboratories in local governments also cooperate to perform food analysis; the former carry out simple bacteriological and chemical examinations, while more complicated analysis is done by the latter. Tests on imported foods are carried out at the National Institute of Hygienic Sciences in cooperation with the laboratories of the food inspection divisions of the port quarantine station at ports/airports. Many standard laboratory methods have been provided in ministry regulations, in notices from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and in official publications to ensure consistent results among food control laboratories.
Personnel training facilities in food hygiene and safety, food technology and food toxicology are available at, the Institute of Public Health in the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Both central and local governments are empowered to enact food safety legislation. The legislation presently in force includes the Food Sanitation Law (1947), Slaughter-House Law (1953) and ordinances based on these national laws.
The main provisions contained in the Food Sanitation Law relate to the following:
a) Food and food additives:
Cleanliness and sanitation in the manufacture, storage and sale of food; prohibition of the sale of unsafe food or food additives; prohibition of the sale of meat of animals suffering from diseases; restriction on the sale of synthetic chemicals; and establishment of standards and criteria for food and food additives;
b) Containers and packaging
Cleanliness and safety, establishment of standards and criteria and prohibition of the sale of deleterious containers and packaging;
c) Labelling and advertisement:
Establishment of standards for labels of food, food additives and prohibition of false labelling statements and advertisements;
d) Inspection:
Inspection of food, additives, containers and packaging before distribution or on import;
e) Business:
Requirement of a full-time food sanitation administrator for each business manufacturing or processing food including additives, and establishment of construction standards for business facilities;
f) Notification of food poisoning cases;
g) Control of newly developed food;
h) Penal provisions for offences against the provisions of the Food Sanitation Law.
Labelling requirements for foods include: the name of the food, additives used, the name and address of the manufacturer or importer, the method of preservation, and pH and water activity in the case of certain meat products. The manufacturing or processing date is also required for certain foods. For irradiated foods, a declaration is necessary to indicate that the food has been irradiated. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries regulates food quality labelling.
Notification must be sent to the Minister of Health and Welfare for the import of food, additives, utensils and packaging. Food sanitation inspectors are stationed at ports to approve the importation of safe food or to order the disposal or return of unsafe foods. The responsibility for the examination of imported animal-derived foods lies with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The sanitary control of food for export is similar to food produced and sold in the country. There are, or course, exceptional cases, e.g. a food additive which is not permitted for use in Japan but permitted in the country to which the food is exported, can be used in foods for export with the consent of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, if the use of the additive is shown to be necessary.
Food standards are prescribed in the Food Sanitation Law Enforcement Regulations. Standards and requirements for food and food additives have been determined by the Ministry of Health and Welfare after consideration of their safety. Microbiological standards and irradiation standards also exist for certain foods. Standards have also been established for residues of more than 20 pesticides in more than 50 kinds of food, including fruits, vegetables, cereals, green tea and milk.
The permission of the Prefectural Governor is needed for the licensing and registration of food premises which must conform with established standards. Conditions may also be attached to the licence such as a limitation on the term of validity. The Minister of Health and Welfare or the Prefectural Governor may order the closure of the premises if a violation occurs. Persons violating the food legislation may be subject to imprisonment or fines.
The Food Sanitation Law requires notification of foodborne infections and intoxications. Physicians are required to report suspected or confirmed cases of illness and death caused by food poisoning to the head of the nearest health centre who investigates the case as prescribed by the Cabinet Order and submits reports to higher levels. A national compilation of food poisoning statistics is carried out annually. When a food poisoning outbreak occurs, food sanitation inspectors in the health centres will conduct an epidemiological investigation of sources and cases. The most common foodborne disease in Japan is due to Vibrio parahaemolyticus, from raw fish and shellfish.
Information last updated - April 2007