2. Product Categories

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Frozen Potatoes & Cheese Snack
Japan

This section provides the regulatory definition of the food category in scope, or the appropriate food category for the product in scope. Additionally, it provides the food products that belong to this food category along with the definition and specific information on each of these types of food products.

2.1 Category Name & Definition

Context

In Japan, foods are defined in two pieces of legislation complementing each other: the Food Labeling Act [1] and the Food Sanitation Act [3].

Category Name

Under the Food Labeling Act [1]: Processed Foods.

Prepared Foods
- Prepared Frozen Foods
  - Frozen Fries

Definition

Article 2 (1) of the Food Labeling Standards (Cabinet Office Ordinance No. 10 of 2015) [2] defines “Processed Foods” as “produced or processed foods that are listed in Appended Table 1”. In this Appended Table, “Prepared Foods” are defined as No.23 and are defined as including “Prepared Frozen Foods, Chilled Foods, Retort Pouched Foods, Bento (meaning “packed lunch” in Japanese), (prepacked) Delicatessen Foods, and other prepared foods”.

The Appended Table 3 of this Standard [2] also defines “Frozen Fries” as a sub-category of “Prepared Frozen Foods” as “foods (agricultural, livestock and fishery products) prepared by being dipped in batter and fried in edible vegetable oil”.

Category Name

Under the Food Sanitation Act [3]: Frozen Foods.

Frozen foods that are consumed after heating (heated before getting frozen)

Definition

Section D of the "The Specifications and Standards for Foods, Additives, etc." (Public Notice of the Ministry of Health and Welfare No. 370 of 1959, hereafter referred to as “Public Notice No. 370”) [4] defines “Frozen Foods” as “pre-packed frozen produced/processed foods (excluding soft drinks, meat products, whale meat products, fish paste products, boiled octopus, and boiled crabs) or sliced/shelled seafood”.

Depending on the type of heat treatment that is applied or not applied to foods, “Frozen Foods” are further divided into the following 5 categories:

Frozen foods that are consumed without heating
Frozen foods that are consumed after heating (heated before getting frozen)
Frozen foods that are consumed after heating (not heated before getting frozen)
Frozen seafood for raw consumption
Frozen seafood that is sliced or shelled

2.2 Product & Definition

1) Frozen Potatoes

Definition

There is no legal definition that specifically captures frozen potatoes.

Frozen potatoes would be classified in “Frozen Fries” under the “Prepared Frozen Foods” category which is a category of “Processed Foods” under the Food Labelling Act (Act No. 70 of 2013) [1] and Food Labelling Standards (Cabinet Office Ordinance No. 10 of 2015) [2].

Under the Food Sanitation Act (Act No. 233 of 1947) [3], it would be classified as “Frozen foods that are consumed after heating (heated before getting frozen)” under the “Frozen Foods” category.

Specifications/Target Age

Under the Food Sanitation Act (Act No. 233 of 1947) [3], microbial limits (described in Section 8.1 of this guidebook), standards for packages (described in Section 8.5), and specific storage requirements are defined for “Frozen Foods”.

Frozen Foods must be stored at - 15 degrees Celsius or lower.

There is no legally defined target age for “Prepared Frozen Foods” or “Frozen Foods”.

Additional Information

None.

2) Frozen cheese snack

Definition

There is no legal definition that specifically captures frozen cheese snack.

Frozen cheese snack would be classified as “Frozen Fries” under the “Prepared Frozen Foods” category which is a category of “Processed Foods” under the Food Labelling Act (Act No. 70 of 2013) [1] and Food Labelling Standards (Cabinet Office Ordinance No. 10 of 2015) [2].

Specifications/Target Age

Same as Product 1 above.

Additional Information

None.