The Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation
Establishment of Specifications and Standards '06
Last update：2006/12/05

Note: Quoted from the text, " Establishment of Specifications and Standards Based on the Food Sanitation Law", for the Nineteenth Seminar for Visiting Food Hygiene Expers (2006) prepared by Standards and Evaluation Division, Department of Food Safety, Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan.

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Introduction
The Food Sanitation Law establishes a wide variety of standards not only for foods themselves but also for food related items. These standards include food labeling standards and standards for the safety assessment of foods and food additives produced by recombinant DNA techniques. This text mainly describes the establishment of standards and specifications for food, pesticides, veterinary drugs, and food containers/packages.

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Part II Establishment of Specifications and Standards Based on the Food Sanitation Law (PDF:1.50MB)

Contents

Introduction

1. Food
(1) Historical background

<In general> <Milk and milk products>

(2) Specifications and standards for fresh fish and shellfish

<Preventive measures for foodborne infections caused by Vibrio Parahaemolyticus>

(3) Revision of specifications and standards for milk and milk products
(4) Standards for contaminants in food

<Standards for cadmium in rice> <Standards for mycotoxins >


2. Pesticide Residues in Food　
(1) Historical background
(2) Relationship between the registration of pesticides and the regulations on pesticide residues in foods
(3) Legal nature of pesticide residue standards
(4) Establishment of maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides
(5) Harmonization with Codex standards
(6) Investigation of pesticide residues in foods
(7) Survey on pesticide intakes (Market Basket Study)
(8) Information disclosure

3. Veterinary Drugs in Food
(1) Historical background
(2) Establishment of residue standards (MRLs)
(3) Investigation of veterinary drugs in foods
(4) Information disclosure

4. Food Additives
(1) Historical background
(2) Regulation of food additives under the Food Sanitation Law
(3) International safety assessment of food additives
(4) Safety measures for non-synthetic food additives
(5) Survey of daily intakes of food additives

5. Apparatus and Containers/Packages, Toys
<Apparatus and Containers/Packages>
(1) Historical background
(2) Definitions
(3) Establishment of specifications and standards
<Toys>

6. Food Labeling
(1) In general
(2) Labeling of allergenic substances in foods
(3) Labeling of genetically modified foods

Annexes

1.	Regulatory status on pesticide residues by the Food Safety Basic Law, the Food Sanitation Law, and the Agricultural Chemicals Regulation Law
2.	Positive List System for Agricultural Chemical Residues Appendix Implementation of the positive list system for agricultural chemical residues in foods
3.	Basic principles for establishment of maximum residue limits for pesticides in agricultural products (including Diagram )
4.	Pesticide Registration and Establishment of MRLs
5.	Guidelines for designation of food additives, and for revision of standards for use of food additives (excerpt) (including table and diagram)
6.	Change in the number of designated food additives