The Food Sanitation Standards Review Division of Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency released a draft revision to the Standards for Food and Food Additives, emphasizing stricter safety reviews for food utensils/containers/packaging and stricter controls on Class I Specified Chemical Substances. The public consultation period is open until February 20, 2025.
Based on the Food Sanitation Act, the revision mandates the Prime Minister, after consulting the Food Sanitation Standards Council, to establish specific standards for food-related utensils and packaging. Under the Positive List System (implemented since June 2020), synthetic resin raw materials not approved for safety are strictly prohibited in primary materials for food contact products. Only compliant substances passing safety evaluations may be used.
To enhance safety management, a new review mechanism will screen substances proposed for addition to the Positive List. New substances will no longer be added via amendments to existing annexes but through individual applications reviewed by the Food Safety Commission and approved by the Prime Minister.
Additionally, the revision explicitly bans the use of Class I Specified Chemical Substances—those with persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and long-term toxicity—in food utensils and packaging.
These measures were approved at the Food Sanitation Standards Council’s Utensils/Containers/Packaging Subcommittee meeting in December, 2024. The new regulations are expected to be officially implemented on June 1, 2025.
The Consumer Affairs Agency encourages public feedback via mail or the e-Gov platform to ensure diverse perspectives shape these critical public health and food safety standards.
