Food Sanitation & Quarantine
Import Notification for Foods, etc.
Explains Japan’s import notification procedure for foods, food additives, food utensils, containers, packaging and designated toys, including required documents, quarantine station review, inspection risks and practical checks before shipment.
Food Utensils, Containers and Packaging
Explains Japan’s food sanitation requirements for food utensils, containers and packaging, including food-contact use, import notification, material confirmation, test reports, synthetic resin positive list issues and practical checks for importers and freight forwarders.
Imported Food Violation Cases at the Time of Import
Explains how imported food violation cases in Japan should be used in practical import operations, including additive violations, residue issues, microbial non-compliance, prohibited substances, country-and-product risk trends, and actions such as non-release, disposal, re-export or recall.
Best-Before Date and Use-By Date
Explains the difference between best-before dates and use-by dates under Japanese food labeling practice, with practical points for imported foods, overseas date formats, storage conditions, temperature control and online sales.
Foods for Specified Health Uses
Explains Japan’s Foods for Specified Health Uses system, including product-by-product government review, permitted health-use claims, differences from Foods with Function Claims, imported food issues and advertising control.
Foods with Function Claims
Explains Japan’s Foods with Function Claims system, including pre-sale notification, scientific evidence, imported food issues, supplement-type products, advertising control, 2024 system revisions and post-market health information management.
Nutrition Labeling
Explains nutrition labeling requirements for foods sold in Japan, including mandatory nutrients, sodium-to-salt equivalent conversion, imported food labels, nutrition claims and consistency between labels, online sales pages, advertisements and social media posts.
Misleading Quality Representation
Explains misleading quality representation under Japan’s advertising and fair labeling rules, especially for imported foods, health foods, origin claims, quality claims, comparative advertising and overseas marketing materials used in Japan.
Other Laws and Regulations to Check When Importing into Japan
Explains non-customs laws and related regulations that may need to be checked when importing goods into Japan, including food sanitation, quarantine, PMD Act, product safety, intellectual property, dangerous goods, chemicals and rules of origin.
Health Foods and the PMD Act in Japan
Health foods are products consumed for health maintenance, nutrition, beauty or wellness purposes. In Japan, imported health foods may be handled as foods, but their ingredients, labels, advertising claims and sales purpose must also be checked under the PMD Act and other related laws.