Topics
Japan
September 1, 2021
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare publishes revised version of positive list for food contact materials (FCMs); applies to utensils, containers, and packaging made of synthetic resins; 83 substances added to the list of plastic polymers, 192 to coatings, 29 to monomers, and 121 to additives
Reading time: 1 minute
July 29, 2020
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) publishes draft lists of existing substances for use in synthetic food contact resins; set to be consolidated into final positive list announced in April 2020; revisions open for public comment
Reading time: 1 minute
May 5, 2020
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare publishes revised version of positive list for food contact materials (FCMs); includes additional base polymer resins, monomers, additives; to be enforced from June 1, 2020 with five-year transition period for existing products
Reading time: 1 minute
August 15, 2019
Ministry notifies World Trade Organization of planned positive list system for food-contact plastics; separate lists for base polymer plastics, coatings, minor monomers; notification open for comments until October 8, 2019; system enters into force June 2020
Reading time: 2 minutes
April 16, 2019
Ministries in Japan announce 15 new substances as priority assessment substances, 6 of which known to be used in food contact materials; requires annual reporting for import and manufacture
Reading time: 1 minute
February 28, 2019
Proposed evaluation procedures of food contact substances in Japan opened for public comment; efforts continue towards creation of positive list of substances, set to come into force in June 2020
Topics: Japan, regulation
Reading time: 1 minute
May 8, 2013
In Japan food contact materials, especially polymers, are regulated by national legislation as well as by voluntary industry guidelines.
Topics: Japan, regulation
Reading time: 4 minutes
