Japan consults on deleting 32 entries from the Existing Food Additives List

On 5 September 2024, Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) proposed to delete 32 food additive entries from the Existing Food Additives List, as specified in the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHLW) Public Notice No. 120, 1996. The same draft was notified on 10 September 2024 to the World Trade Organization (WTO). 

Since 1 April 2024, the Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) has been in charge of the publication and assessment of food standards.  

Background on the Existing Food Additives List 

Under Article 2-3 of the supplementary provisions to the Food Sanitation Act and the Nutrition Improvement Act (Act No. 101 of 1995), the CAA has the authority to amend the list of Existing Food Additives. This deletion of entries generally depends on factors such as sale, manufacturing, import, processing, use, storage, and display of the additives. 

A survey conducted and reviewed by the MHLW during the period June 2023 to June 2024, concluded that 32 entries were no longer distributed in Japan. Therefore, the CAA has recommended their removal from the list as of 4 September 2025. A list of the 32 food additives to be removed can be found here. 

Comment Period and Enforcement Dates 

Currently, the CAA has invited interested stakeholders to comment on this draft until 4 March 2025. Once the entries are ready to be eliminated, the CAA will delete the entries from the list and this will be enforced from 4 September 2025.