1. Requirements for Food Packaging
and Legislation in Japan
October 2013
Mitsuhiro Sumimoto
Registered Engineer(No.15790, IPEJ)
President & Chief Consultant
E-mail: sumi1901@jcom.home.ne.jp
SUMIMOTO PACKAGING CONSULTANT OFFICE

2. 1. The case where Japan imports foods
(The case where South Africa exports foods)
2. Legislation for foods
3. Legislation for packaging materials and industry
standards
4. Specifications of containers and packaging
materials under JAS
5. Major regulations for labeling on packages
6. Quality labeling requirements for processed
foods
7. Requirements for retort pouch foods
8. Specifications and standards for soft drinks
By product

3. Food itself: Food Sanitation Act
Notification form for
importation of foods,
etc.
Import procedures, such as plant and animal plant
quarantine inspections
Notification form for
importation of foods, etc.
Specifications of agricultural chemical residues (Positive list system)
Food additives JAS Law
Labeling of processed foods
Safety and sanitation of packaging materials
National standards
Self-standards of the
industry
Importers in Japan

4. What is examined by customs according to the import
regulations under the Food Sanitation Act
When a cargo of food and related products is imported to Japan, a
Notification Form for Importation of Foods shall be submitted to
the quarantine station, and then a Certificate of Notification with a
seal indicating the certification, which is issued by the food
sanitation inspector, shall be submitted to customs for clearance.
Permission for import is only after customs clearance.
The website of the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/yunyu/tp0130-1.html
4
1. The case where Japan imports foods

5. 1. When foods are imported, procedures according to the Food Sanitation Act
shall be followed.
2. Depending on the items, import procedures, such as plant and animal
quarantine inspections, are required.
(1) Vegetables, fruits, and food grains
When vegetables, fruits, and food grains are imported, a plant quarantine
inspection is carried out first in order to prevent at the water's edge the entry
of insects, mold, and seeds that are harmful to domestic plants according to
the Plant Protection Act.
(2) Fresh fishery products from areas infected with cholera
Fresh fishery products imported from the areas infected with cholera, such as
Southeast Asia, undergo a quarantine inspection for cholera first. This is for
the purpose of preventing the entry of cholera, an infectious disease,
according to the Quarantine Act.
(3)Meat and ham
When meat of animals and livestock, ham, sausage, and other stock farm
products are imported, an animal quarantine inspection is carried out first in
order to prevent at the water's edge the entry of plagues that are harmful to
animals according to the Act on Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control.
Procedures for importing foods to Japan
5

6. 3. As for foods that underwent a quarantine inspection and general
processed foods, a Certificate of Notification is submitted to the
Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare for inspection and guidance
in terms of sanitation under the Food Sanitation Act. Finally, the
import is permitted after paying an import duty and consumption tax
according to the Customs Act. There are non-liberalized import
items (rice and some shore fish, etc.) among imported foods, which
require other procedures, including ones for import quota.
4. Note that the same rules of labeling under the Food Sanitation Act
and the Law Concerning Standardization and Proper Labeling of
Agricultural and Forestry Products (JAS Law) are applied to
imported foods as domestic food products in selling them.
・Main contact
Food Sanitation Act: Food Sanitation Division, Environmental Health Bureau,
Ministry of Health and Welfare +81-3-3503-1711 +81-3-3503-1711
Contact of the Quarantine Station: Food Inspection Division, Tokyo Quarantine
Station +81-3-3471-1913
6

7. 5. Specifications of agricultural chemical residues (Positive list system)
Foods having a higher level of pesticide, feed additive, or veterinary drug
than the regulatory maximum residue limit shall be prohibited from sale in
Japan. Agricultural residue limits in foods are set in the standards and
specifications (the positive list system).
In addition, under Paragraph 3, Article 11 of the Food Sanitation Act,
 The maximum limit of pesticides that are outside the scope of the
positive list set at 0.01ppm (MHLW Notification No. 497), and
 The substances designated as having no potential to cause damage to
human health among ones that are outside the scope of the positive list
(MHLW Notification No.498)
are also set as notifications.
Other than the above, note that provisional regulatory limitations are set on
some substances (PCB, mercury, shellfish poisons, etc.).
http://www.jetro.go.jp/world/japan/qa/import_01/04M-030003
7

8. 1. Food Sanitation Act (Revised on June 5, 2009)
http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/S22/S22HO233.html
2. Ordinance for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act
(Revised on October 20, 2010)
http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/S23/S23F03601000023.html
3. Food Safety (Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare)
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/shokuhin/ind
ex.html
4. Importing Procedures under the Food Sanitation Act (Quarantine
station of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/yunyu/tp0130-1a.html
5. Food Additives
(Standards and Evaluation Division, Food Safety Department,
Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau, MHLW)
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/shokuhin/syokuten/
index.html 8
2. Legislation for foods

9. 6. Positive List System for Agricultural Chemical Residues in Foods
(The Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation)
http://www.ffcr.or.jp/Zaidan/FFCRHOME.nsf/pages/MRLs-n
7. JAS Law (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)
http://www.maff.go.jp/j/jas/index.html
8. Labeling of Processed Foods (Standard and Labeling Division,
Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries)
http://www.maff.go.jp/j/fs/f_label/f_processed/index.html
9. Consumer Affairs Agency (Food Labeling Division)
http://www.caa.go.jp/foods/index.html
10. Food Safety Committee
http://www.fsc.go.jp/index.html
9

10. 3. Legislation for packaging materials and industry standards
3-1 Food Sanitation Act: Packaging materials used in Japan shall
be, irrespective of packages for domestically produced foods or
imported foods, subject to the regulations of this Act.
(URL: Described in English)
http://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/law/detail_main?id=12&vm=4&re=
Article 3 :
A food business operator (meaning a person or juridical person who is engaged in
collecting, producing, importing, processing, cooking, storing, transporting, or selling
food or additives, or producing, importing, or selling apparatuses or containers and
packaging, or a person or juridical person who provides food to many and unspecified
persons on an ongoing basis at schools, hospitals, or other facilities; the same shall
apply hereinafter) shall, on his/her own responsibility, endeavor to ensure the safety of
the food, additives, apparatuses or containers and packaging which he/she collects,
produces, imports, processes, cooks, stores, transports, sells, provides to many and
unspecified persons, or uses in business (hereinafter referred to as "food for sale, etc."),
and for that purpose, he/she shall endeavor to obtain the knowledge and technologies
necessary to ensure the safety of food for sale, etc., conduct voluntary inspections of
food for sale, etc., and take other necessary measures.

11. This Act is for the purpose of preventing the sanitation hazards
resulting from eating and drinking to improve and promote public
health. This Act specifies food, additives, apparatuses, containers and
packaging, labeling, advertising, inspections and business, etc., and on
the package of food, labeling of
(1) name (name of the item), (2) raw and other materials/additives,
(3) content, (4) use-by-date or best-before-date, (5) storage
instructions, (6) name of manufacturer, (7) address of manufacturer,
(8) genetic modification and (9) allergens, etc., are required.
Food Sanitation Act

12. 3-2-1 Safety and hygiene of materials for packaging: Though
Japanese standards roughly follow the FDA and EC regulations,
there is difference in terms of details. In exporting foods to Japan,
it is necessary to make all due arrangements with the importer in
Japan in advance.
3-2-2 In addition, specifications of containers are set for (i) milk
products, (ii) retort pouch foods and (iii) soft drinks. For foods
other than those, the materials used for packaging shall meet the
specifications through the tests such as a material test and a
elution test.
3-2 As for packaging, there are roughly two regulations as
follows:
(i) Regulation concerning the safety and hygiene of materials
(ii) Regulation concerning the labeling on packages

13. ■Since milk and milk products are more frequently taken by patients and
children, the specifications of packages are stricter than ones set in the Food
Sanitation Act. Types of containers are regulated by kinds of milk products,
and specifications of materials are also set for those containers.
Cow’s milk, Special cow’s milk, Pasteurized goat's milk, Partly skimmed milk,
Skimmed milk, Processed milk and cream
■LDPE (to be used for direct contact with contents) ■LLDPE (not to be used
for direct contact with contents) ■PP (not to be used for (direct) contact with
contents) ■NY (not to be used for direct contact with contents)
Fermented milk, Fermented milk drink, and milk drink
■LDPE (to be used for direct contact with contents) ■LLDPE (to be used for
direct contact with contents) ■PP (to be used for direct contact with
contents) ■PET (to be used for direct contact with contents) ■PS (to be used
for direct contact with contents)
Prepared milk powder
■LDPE (to be used for direct contact with contents) ■LLDPE (to be used for
direct contact with contents)■PET (to be used for direct contact with
contents)
Plastics to be used for milk products

14. LDPE that is to be used for direct contact with contents shall be
LDPE with no additives. Therefore no additive in the LDPE has
to be verified for the use of packaging milk products.

15. In addition to the regulations and specifications under the
Food Sanitation Act stated before, specifications of packaging
materials under JAS are set for individual items by the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Containers
with sufficient function are accepted as meeting the
specifications. As for containers for dried bonito shavings,
however, oxygen permeability and sealing strength are
specified. Packaging materials for foods must pass the tests
given according to the specifications of JAS and the Food
Sanitation Act.
4. Specifications of containers and packaging materials under JAS

16. The purpose of this law is to improve quality, increase productivity,
improve the fairness and simplicity of transactions, and rationalize the use
or consumption of agricultural and forestry products by enacting and
disseminating appropriate and rational standards for the products and to
help consumers choose products by enforcing proper quality labeling of
them, thereby contributing to enhancing the public interest. In short, this
Law is the regulations of “Obligation of Labeling” with regard to aggregate
labeling, prescribing for the “Obligation” to ensure the accurate and
complete indication of the contents.
JAS Law (Japanese Agricultural Standard )
It is generally abbreviated as JAS, and the standards set in the Law are called
JAS standards. Setting of the specifications and labeling of quality of foods for
fair transaction of agricultural and forestry products are specified, and foods
that meet the specifications are permitted to be sold by carrying a JAS mark.

17. Dried bonito shavings
Condition:
1. Good appearance
2. No wrinkle on the film of the sealed part
3. No contents caught in the sealed part
Frozen prepared foods
Condition:
Heatproof and moisture-proof materials with sufficient
strength shall be used, and as for those deep-fried in edible oil,
the materials shall also be oil-proof.

18. Frozen vegetables Japan Frozen Food Association
Frozen foods inspection guideline
Frozen foods manufacturing
facility certification guideline
Frozen foods
certification system
1. Fresh raw materials, cleaning, pretreatment
2. Quick freezing: quality maintenance
3. Pretreated
4. Appropriate packaging: preventing biocontamination and
oxidation in the distribution process

19. Dried foods
Condition：
Heatproof and moisture-proof materials with sufficient
strength shall be used, and as for those deep-fried in edible oil,
the materials shall also be oil-proof.
Instant noodles, chilled hamburgers
Condition:
Moisture-proof materials with sufficient strength shall be used,
and as for those heated, the materials shall also be heatproof.

20. Bacon, etc.
Condition:
Moisture-proof materials shall be used, and those
sliced shall be sealed by the use of nonporous
materials.

21. 1. Pharmaceutical Affairs Act
2. Food Sanitation Act
3. Health Promotion Act
4. Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading
Representations
5. JAS Law
6. Regulations for eliminating excessive packaging
7. Containers and Packaging Recycling Law
8. PL Act: Product Liability Act
9. Voluntary standards by industry: Japan Hygienic Olefin and
Styrene Plastics Association (JHOSPA)
5. Major regulations for labeling on packages

22. 5-3 Health Promotion Act
The purpose of this Act is, as part of the reform of the medical
system, to provide basic policies from the viewpoint of
promoting people’s health throughout a lifetime and to improve
public health through implementation of measures necessary
for supporting people’s efforts to follow the policies.
Specifically, labeling of foods for sale with an indication of
nutrients or calories must follow the required standards for the
labeling of nutrients provided by the Minister of Health, Labour
and Welfare

23. 5-4 Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading
Representations
The purpose of this Act is to secure fair competition and
protect the interests of consumers in general
through preventing inducement of customers by means of
unjustifiable premiums and false or misleading
representations (improper representations).

24. 5-6 Regulations for eliminating excessive packaging
It is an ordinance for eliminating excessive packaging of products.
The too excessive space volume for packaging and cheating by showing
the volume of contents larger than the actual one are restricted.
Though the space volume ratio of packaging is different by municipality,
the regulations affect the production of packages irrespective of the
contents of products.
5-7 Recycling Law
The Law for Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources makes it
obligatory for business operators to identify containers and
packages by labeling so that consumers can appropriately sort the
waste of containers and packages for disposal in order to promote
separated trash collection of municipalities. As for steel cans and
aluminum cans for drinks and liquors and PET bottles for drinks,
liquors and soy sauce, labeling for identification had been already
mandatory, and in April 2001, labeling for identification of
containers and packages made of paper and plastic also became
mandatory.

25. 5-8 PL Act (Product Liability Act)
This Act, by converting the fault liability principle, which was the
fundamental principle of the civil code, to the principle of liability
for a defect, sets forth the liability of any person who
manufactured, processed, or imported the product in the course
of trade or any person who provides certain indication on the
product as a manufacturer for the victim of the injury to life, body,
or property, which is caused by a defect in the product delivered
at the will of the manufacturer in order to protect the victim
(including a third person who does not directly use or consume
the product, and also including juristic persons as well as natural
persons).

26. 5-9 Voluntary standards by industry
・ Ink: “Voluntary regulations concerning printing ink (NL
regulations)” set by Japan Printing Ink Makers Association
http://www.ink-jpima.org/ink_anzen.html
・ Plastic resin: See the next page
http://www.jhospa.gr.jp/web/standard/standard.html
・ Paper: Japan Paper Association NL
http://www.jpa.gr.jp/en/
・ Bioplastics: Japan BioPlastics Association(JBPA)
http://www.jbpaweb.net/
Other materials

27. Scheme of voluntary standards by JHOSPA
http://www.jhospa.gr.jp/web/standard/standard.html
Positive list Basic polymers
Additives
Colorants
Scope (monomers, quantity) ,
specifications, etc.
Quantity to be added, food
restrictions and temperature
restrictions, etc.
Food restrictions, etc.
Hygienic
testing
methods
Specification
for each
resin
Specifications of material
Specifications of migration
Added to Notification No.
370
the same as above
Hygienic
testing
Methods for
resin
Testing method of materials
Testing method of
migration
Testing method for
standards of each resin
5-9 Industry’s voluntary standards

28. Notification No. 3 of the Consumers Affairs Agency, last revised on March 31, 2011
6. Labeling standard for processed foods
(Mandatory labeling items for processed foods)
Article 3. Manufacturers, processors/packers, importers, or distributors (hereinafter
referred to as “manufacturers, etc.”) shall label the following items on containers or
packages of processed foods other than those for institutional use (hereinafter the
same from articles 3 to 4.2). Where manufacturers, etc., manufacture or process
drinks/foods and sell them directly to general consumers or offer them for drinking
and eating at facilities, those processed drinks/foods need not be labeled.
(1) Name
(2) Names of ingredients
(3) Net contents
(4) Best before
(5) Storage instruction
(6) Name or trade name and address of manufacturer, etc.
2 Solid foods with liquid medium packed in cans or bottles

29. (2) Names of ingredients
Names of ingredients shall be labeled in accordance with the classification a) and b) as
below.
a) Names of ingredients other than food additives shall be labeled with the most
generic names in descending order by weight. Labeling of ingredients made from no
less than two ingredients (hereafter “compound ingredients”) shall follow as provided
below:
(i) The name of the mentioned compound ingredient shall be followed by its
component ingredients with the most generic names in parentheses in descending
order by weight in the mentioned compound ingredient. Where the compound
ingredient consists of no less than three ingredients, the ingredients which are ranked
below third in weight and consist less than 5% by the total weight of the mentioned
compound ingredient may be labeled as “others”.
(ii) The names of ingredients of the mentioned compound ingredient may be omitted, if
the weight of the compound ingredient in the total ingredients of the product is less
than 5% or the names of ingredients are easily identified from the name of the
compound ingredient.
(b) Names of food additives shall be labeled in descending order by weight in the total
ingredients, pursuant to the provisions of article 21, paragraph 1, items 1-(Ho) and 2,
paragraphs 11 and 12 of the Enforcement Regulations of the Food Sanitation Law
(Ordinance No. 23 of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of 1948).

30. 6-1 With regard to imports, manufacturers, etc. shall label the
country of origin on the packages or containers in addition to
the items in paragraph 1.
Quality Labeling Standard for Fruit Juice and Fruit Beverage
Industry’s Voluntary Guideline about Labeling the Place of Origin of
Ingredient for Container-Packed Foods Sterilized by Heating
Guideline for Warning Labels for Canned, Bottled
and Retort Pouch foods
6-2 In addition, labeling standards are provided for individual
food categories. (National standards and voluntary standards by
industry)

31. JAS Mark
Foods and forestry products, etc. that meet JAS standards
(General JAS standards) in terms of quality, such as composition,
grading, performance, can carry JAS marks with the packages.
Specific JAS Mark
Foods that meet the JAS standards of specific production or
manufacturing method (specific JAS standards) or ones that meet
the JAS standards for declaring distinctive features in quality, etc.,
compared to the standard ones of the same category (apple
straight pure juice) can carry the mark with the packages.
Organic JAS Mark
Agricultural products and others that meet the organic JAS
standards can carry this mark with the packages. Agricultural
products and processed foods of them with no organic JAS mark
are not allowed to label “Organic.”
Reference

32. JAS Mark with Production Information
Beef and pork about which information on feeding and
veterinary drugs are released or processed foods and others
about which information on ingredients and manufacturing
processes, etc., are released according the method that meets
the JAS standards with production information can carry this
mark.
This mark is given to processed foods with a specific
distribution method, which are distributed by keeping a
certain temperature consistently all through the processes
from manufacturing to marketing. Packed lunches using
cooked rice, etc., (including sushi and fried rice) can get the
certification.
http://www.maff.go.jp/j/jas/jas_kikaku/index.html
Reference

33. JAS standard list
http://www.maff.go.jp/j/jas/jas_kikaku/kikaku_itiran.html
Japanese Agricultural Standard for fruit juices (PDF:248KB)
Table for
Comparison
between the old
and new
standards (PDF:
89KB)
July 22, 1998 July 17, 2012
Japanese Agricultural Standard for Apple Straight Pure Juice(PDF:
69KB)
(Checked)
October 30,
2007
July 17, 2012
Japanese Agricultural Standard for Carbonated Drinks (PDF: 67KB) (Checked) June 27, 1974 July 17, 2012
Japanese Agricultural Standard for Soybean Milk (PDF: 89KB) (Checked)
November 16,
1981
July 17, 2012
Japanese Agricultural Standard for Carrot Juice and Carrot Mixed
Juice (PDF:65KB)
(Checked)
March 28,
1996
July 17, 2012
Reference

34. Japanese Agricultural Standard for Processed Tomato
Foods (PDF: 131KB)
Table for
Comparison
between the
old and new
standards
(PDF: 171KB)
October 11,
1979
May 19, 2009
Japanese Agricultural Standard for Jams (PDF: 74KB)
Table for
Comparison
between the
old and new
standards
(PDF：118KB)
April 20. 1988 July 17, 2008
Japanese Agricultural Standard for Prepared Frozen Foods (PDF: 164KB) Table for Comparison between the
old and new standards (PDF: 184KB)
August 25, 1978 August 29, August 29, 2008
Reference

35. http://www.caa.go.jp/jas/hyoji/kijun_Itiran.html
Quality labeling standards
Quality Labeling Standard for Frozen Vegetables (PDF: 18KB)August 19, 2002 January 31, 2008
Quality Labeling Standard for Pickled Vegetables (PDF:28KB)
December 28,
2000
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Processed Eel Products (PDF:
12KB)
April 25, 2001
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Dried Bonito Shavings (PDF:
24KB)
December 19,
2000
August 6, 2008
Reference

36. Quality Labeling Standard for Retort Pouch Foods (PDF:
31KB)
December 19, 2000 September 30, 2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Frozen Vegetables (PDF:18KB) August 19, 2002
January 31, 2008
Quality Labeling Standard for Chilled Potsticker (Gyoza)
(PDF: 21KB)
December 19, 2000 September 30, 2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Prepared Frozen Foods (PDF:
146KB)
December 19, 2000 September 30, 2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Edible Vegetable Fats
and Oils (PDF:19KB)
December 19, 2000 September 30, 2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Margarines (PDF:18KB) December 19, 2000 September 30, 2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Flavor Seasonings (PDF: 16KB)December 19, 2000 September 30, 2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Dehydrated soups (PDF:
112KB)
December 19, 2000 September 30, 2011
Reference

37. Quality Labeling Standard for Pickled Vegetables
(PDF: 28KB)
December 28,
2000
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Processed Tomato
Foods (PDF: 26KB)
December 19,
2000
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Jams (PDF: 19KB)
December 19,
2000
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Dried “Shiitake
Mushrooms“(PDF: 157KB)
December 19,
2000
November 6, 2007
Quality Labeling Standard for Marine Products (PDF: 6KB) March 31, 2000 -
Quality Labeling Standard for Fresh Foods (PDF: 28KB) March 31, 2000 January 31, 2008
Quality Labeling Standard for Processed Foods (PDF: 196KB)
NEW
March 31, 2000 June 11, 2012
Quality Labeling Standard for Genetically Modified (PDF:
23KB)
March 31, 2000 August 31, 2011
Reference

38. Quality Labeling Standard for Bacons (PDF: 18KB)
December 19,
2000
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Hams(PDF: 19KB)
December 19,
2000
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Pressed Hams (PDF: 99KB)
December 19,
2000
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Mixed Pressed Hams (PDF:
98KB)
December 19,
2000
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Sausages (PDF: 121KB)
December 19,
2000
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Mixed Sausages (PDF: 111KB)
December 19,
2000
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Chilled Hamburg Steak (PDF:
108KB)
December 19,
2000
June 1, 2012
Quality Labeling Standard for Chilled Meatballs (PDF: 106KB)
December 19,
2000
June 1 2012
Quality Labeling Standard for Fish Meat Hams and Sausages
(PDF: 22KB)
December 19,
2000 August 31, 2011
Reference

39. Quality Labeling Standard for Fruit Drinks (PDF: 33KB)
December 19,
2000
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Carbonated Drinks (PDF:
16KB)
December 19,
2000
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Soybean Milk (PDF: 99KB)
December 19,
2000
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Carrot Juice and Carrot Mixed
Juice (PDF: 18KB)
December 19,
2000
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Canned or Bottled
Agricultural Products (PDF: 75KB)
July 24, 2002
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Canned or Bottled Livestock
Products (PDF: 134KB)
December 19,
2000
September 30,
2011
Quality Labeling Standard for Canned or Bottled Prepared
Foods (PDF: 24KB)
December 19,
2000
September 30,
2011
Reference

40. 1. There are two definitions:
1-1 Definition provided by the Food Sanitation Act: Retort
pouch foods specified by the Food Sanitation Act mean foods
(excluding milk and milk products, soft drinks, meat, whale
products and fish jelly products) packed and sealed in tight
containers and packaging and are sterilized by autoclaving and
heating. Under the Food Sanitation Act, they are referred to as
pressure- and heat-sterilized packaged foods.
1-2 Japanese Agricultural Standard: In the Japanese
Agricultural Standard, such foods are referred to as retort
pouch foods.
7. Requirements for retort pouch foods

41. ・Containers/packages shall be light-blocking and
impermeable to gas (except when products have no risk of
quality degradation due to deterioration of fats and oils).
・They shall not be broken, deformed, colored, or discolored
when filled up with water, sealed, and heated under pressure
in the same conditions as in actual manufacture.
・Compression proof test: Contents or water shall not leak out.
・Heat sealing strength test: not less than 23 N.
・Dropping test: Contents or water shall not leak out.
Light-blocking pouches made of materials containing
aluminum foil. Pouches made of high barrier transparent film
are not defined as retort pouches.
1-1-1 Requirements for the containers of retort pouch food
under the Food Sanitation Act

42. a. Materials shall be as follows:
The inside of containers is restricted to polyethylene (PE) film or
polypropylene (PP) film and the outside is restricted to materials of
a laminated construction comprising of aluminum foil and polyester
film, polyamide film (nylon), polyethylene (PE) film, or
polypropylene (PP) film.
・The inside of containers is restricted to polyethylene (PE) film or
polypropylene (PP) film and the outside is restricted to aluminum
foil.
b. Condition
・ Good appearance.
・ No content caught in the inside of the part sealed by hot-melting.
1-2-1 Specifications for the containers of retort pouch foods by JAS

43. 8 Specifications and standards for soft drinks
1. Standards of composition: Standards are set for turbidity,
sediment and presence of arsenic, lead, or cadmium (must not
be present in detectable amounts), etc.
2. Standards of manufacture: Standards are set for standard plate
count bacteria, coliform group, mercury, lead, arsenic, and
others.
3. Mineral waters: Specifications are set for standard plate count
bacteria, coliform group, mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, and
others.
4. Standards of storage:
a. Soft drinks hermetically contained in glass must be stored at
temperatures below 10°C.
b. Those that have a pH level of 4.6 or above and a water activity
exceeding 0.94 and that have not been sterilized for
destroying microorganisms must be stored at temperatures
10°C.

44. ・Mineral waters
(Defined as “soft drink beverage which only consists of water”)
・Frozen fruit juice drinks
・Fruit juices used as raw materials
・Soft drinks other than mineral water, frozen fruit juice drinks,
and fruit juices used as raw materials
In addition to the common specifications of composition for
soft drink beverages (turbidity, sediment and presence of
heavy metals (arsenic, lead, cadmium and tin),
microorganisms (coliform group, enterococcus and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and patulin), standards of
manufacture are set for each soft drink beverage.