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Japan Expands List of Acceptable Food Additives in Cheese IDFA recently worked with other U.S. and Japanese trade associations in a successful effort to avert a possible ban on cheese imports into Japan due to that nation’s restrictive list of allowable food additives. After extensive negotiations last month, the Japanese Health Ministry approved 30 additives that are internationally recognized as safe in foods, including dairy products. IDFA is pleased that Japan chose to update its food additive system and accept internationally approved additive standards, rather than begin an import ban.The incident that brought the issue to light involved the salt anti-caking agent ferrocyanide that is widely used in the United States and other nations. Earlier this summer, this anti-caking agent was found in a food import in Japan. Japanese retailers began to demand that international suppliers guarantee that their foods, including cheeses, did not include the chemical; some imported cheeses were taken off store shelves. IDFA and other trade associations worked with U.S. and Japanese officials to resolve the problem. The effort to obtain expedited approval for ferrocyanide resulted in a broader initiative to update Japan’s entire food additive system. Japan’s food additive system uses a list, maintained by its Health Ministry, of specific food additives allowed for each type of food. The Japanese list was out-of-date with current global practices, including Codex standards, but the list was not changed due to the complex bureaucratic process necessary to do so. The Japanese process is much different than the U.S. approach, which allows for additives that are “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS). For more details, visit the “International Standards” section of this site, or contact Allen Sayler at asayler@idfa.org, (202) 220-3544.
Posted August 26, 2002
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