A committee working under the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) is considering a new regulatory framework for food contact materials (FCMs) in Japan, including a positive list system.

FCMs are currently regulated under the Food Sanitation Act and the system is based on a negative list. This means that substances listed are banned or restricted for use in FCMs in Japan. But the list does not control substances that are banned in other jurisdictions. Systems in the EU, US and China are based on a positive list, which means the substances can be freely used as long as they are on it. The committee has been reviewing the current rules, both regulatory and voluntary, and looking at how FCMs are controlled in other countries.

Voluntary positive lists in place

A committee report, published last year, outlined suggestions for what to include on a positive list, for example, focusing on specific materials, considering exclusions for polymers and specifying maximum concentration limits.

The report also proposed that, while a new regulation is being discussed, immediate measures should be put in place, such as a production guideline with trade associations’ positive lists as a reference.

The MHLW has recently set up a separate committee that has taken over the process and discussion of the development of a new regulation. In an August report, it laid out the agenda for the creation of a positive list system, if it goes ahead.

The committee will now consult experts and start the discussion. It hopes to publish the next report by the end of March 2017.

|Our Services: Food Contact Materials