In order to monitor and provide instructions to ensure the safety of foods, etc., imported into Japan (hereafter referred to as “imported foods, etc.”), the government established the imported food monitoring and instruction program in 2007 (hereinafter, “the program”). The program is based on the guidelines for monitoring and providing instructions in food sanitation (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 301, 2003) as per the regulations of Article 23, Paragraph 1 of the Food Sanitation Law (Law No. 233, 1947; hereinafter, “the Law”); public comments were collected and risk communication was conducted. The program was published in the Official Gazette as an official report according to the regulations of Paragraph 3 of the same article, and the monitoring and instruction for imported foods, etc., is being conducted based upon the Program.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare will publish an outline of the implementation status of the monitoring and instruction for imported foods, etc., conducted in accordance with the program, by June of the next year and will also publish the mid-year status around the middle of the fiscal year. An interim report on the results of the inspections conducted based on the program from April to September, 2007, which were summarized recently, will be published.
Reference: Website on “imported food monitoring operation”
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/yunyu/tp0130-1.html
Inquiry: Office of Import Food Safety, Inspection and Safety Division, Department of Food Safety, Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau
| (1) What is the imported food monitoring and instruction program? |
This is a program implemented by the government for food monitoring and instruction with regard to imported foods, etc. (Article 23 of the Law)
[Aim] The government promotes intensive, effective, and efficient implementation of inspections at the time of import and monitoring/instruction, etc. for importers and attempts to ensure further safety of imported foods, etc.
| (2) The basic concept of the monitoring and instruction program for imported foods, etc. |
In line with Article 4 of the Food Safety Basic Law (Law No. 48, 2003) (Food safety must be ensured through appropriate measures conducted at each stage of the food supply process at both nationally and internationally), a program is established to ensure the implementation of hygienic measures at 3 stages (export countries, import, and domestic distribution).
| (3) Items subject to intensive monitoring and instruction |
- Assessment of any violation of the Law at the time of import declaration.
- Monitoring inspection *1 (124 food groups and approximately 79,000 articles was scheduled in 2007)
- Inspection order *2 (15 articles in all countries and 186 articles in 30 counties and 1 region as of September 30, 2007)
- Comprehensive prohibition regulations *3
- Emergent measures based on foreign information, etc.
| (4) Promotion of hygienic measures in export countries |
- To direct the governments of exporting countries to establish hygienic management measures.
- To intensify and promote the management and monitoring system for pesticides, etc., for inspection prior to export through field investigations and bilateral talks.
| (5) Instructions for importers regarding voluntary implementation of hygiene management measures |
- Pre-import instructions (practically, consultation about import)
- Instructions on voluntary inspection to be performed at the time of initial import and on a regular basis
- Instructions on the storage of documents
- Education of importers with regard to food sanitation, etc.
| *1 | : | A well-planned inspection based on statistical ideas with consideration to import volume, violation rate, etc., for each food article (Article 28 of the Law) |
| *2 | : | Inspection at each instance of import is made mandatory for products with a high probability of violation, and a product not passed to inspection is prohibited from import and distribution (Article 26 of the Law). |
| *3 | : | A regulation that can ban distribution and import without inspection if considered necessary with regard to hazard prevention (Articles 8 and 17 of the Law) |
Table 1 Notification, inspection and violation statuses (April–September 2007: Preliminary figures) |
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Table 2 Major violation cases (April–September 2007: Preliminary figures) |
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Table 3 Implementation status of monitoring inspection (April–September 2007: Preliminary figures) |
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* The approximate number of programs counted by each test item such as antibiotics and pesticides in food products is shown. |
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Table 4 Items subject to reinforcement of monitoring inspection, etc. *1 (April–September 2007 *2) |
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*1 These items are subjected to inspection reinforcement after a violation is detected; this is usually done for 30% of the total number of notifications. *2 Excludes items included in Table 5. *3 Items newly monitored in response to overseas reports (April–September 2007) |
Table 5 Items applied to inspection order (April–September, 2007) |
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Table 6 Items subject to inspection order and inspection results (April–September 2007: |
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Table 7 Major cases in which monitoring was reinforced based on foreign information (April–September 2007)
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(Reference) A description of key terms in the interim report |
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