8. Safety Parameters

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General Foods
Japan

This section provides the safety parameters (microbiological, contaminants, heavy metals, pesticides, veterinary residues, and food contact materials).

8.1 Microbiological Standards

	Provision, Limits, Testing Methods
Foodstuff/General Foods	None

8.2 Contaminants and Heavy Metals

Provision, Limits, Testing Methods

Foodstuff/General Foods

Section A of the Public Notice No. 370 [2] stipulates that cesium (cesium 134 and 137) must not be contained in the following food categories exceeding the limit established for each food category.

Mineral water: 10 Bq/kg
Soft drink produced using tea leaves as an ingredient: 10 Bq/kg
Tea (as consumed): 10 Bq/kg
Foods intended for infants: 50 Bq/kg
Others: 100 Bq/kg

The testing methods can be seen from the MHLW’s website [3].

8.3 Pesticides

Provision, Limits, Testing Methods

Foodstuff/General Foods

Section A of the Public Notice No. 370 [2] stipulates that foods must conform to the following 2 requirements.

1. The following agricultural chemicals must not be detected in food: 2,4,5-T, IPRONIDAZOLE, OLAQUINDOX, CAPTAFOL, CARBADOX including QCA, COUMAFOS/COUMAPHOS, CHLORAMPHENICOL, CLORSULON, CHLORPROMAZINE, DIETHYLSTILBESTROL, DIMETRIDAZOLE, DAMINOZIDE, NITROFURAZONE, NITROFURANTOIN, FURAZOLIDONE, FURALTADONE, PROPHAM, MALACHITE GREEN, METRONIDAZOLE, and RONIDAZOLE.

2. The other agricultural chemicals must not be contained in food exceeding 0.01 ppm unless any specific maximum residual limit (MRL) is established by the MHLW. The current MRLs can be searched on the webpage of the Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation [4].

The testing methods can be seen from the MHLW’s website [5].

8.4 Veterinary Standards

	Provision, Limits, Testing Methods
Foodstuff/General Foods	Veterinary drugs are regulated in the same way as pesticides as “agricultural chemicals”. Please refer to Section 8.3 above.

8.5 Food Contact Materials

Provision, Limits, Testing Methods

Foodstuff/General Foods

As stipulated by the Food Sanitation Act (Act No. 233 of 1947) [1], the food contact materials used in containers and packages of foods must satisfy all of the following requirements.

1. General requirements by the Food Sanitation Act (Articles 15 and 16) [1] - Food packages must be clean and sanitary and must not contain or bear toxic or harmful substances that are likely to cause health hazards.

2. Compositional requirements by Part 3 of the Public Notice No. 370 (exact requirements can vary depending on the main constituent of the packages such as glass and synthetic resins.) [6]

3. (Applicable only when the package materials are synthetic resins) Inclusion of the base polymer and additives that are resident in the final product in the lists of authorized materials (Appended Table 1 [7]).