Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare


Contact:
Office of Import Food Safety,
Inspection and Safety Division,
Department of Food Safety,
Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau,
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Extension 2495, 2474, 2498)

Inspection Results of Imported Foods Monitoring
and Guidance Plan for FY 2014

Interim Report

December 2014
Department of Food Safety
Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare


Inspection Results of Imported Foods Monitoring and Guidance Plan for FY 2014 (Interim Report)

1. Introduction

In order to monitor and provide instructions to ensure the safety of foods, etc., imported into Japan (hereafter referred to as “imported foods”), the government established the Imported Foods Monitoring and Guidance Plan in 2014 (hereinafter, “the plan”). The plan is based on the guidelines for monitoring and providing instructions in food safety (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 301, 2003) as per the regulations of Article 23, Paragraph 1 of the Food Sanitation Act (Act No. 233, 1947; hereinafter, “the Act”); public comments were collected and risk communication was conducted. The plan 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 is being conducted based upon the plan.

This document presents an outline of the implementation status of the monitoring and instruction for imported foods, etc., conducted in accordance with the plan, for the period from April to September 2014.

Reference: Website on “Imported Foods Inspection Services Home Page”
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/topics/importedfoods/index.html

Safety of Imported Food

2. Overview of the Imported Foods Monitoring and Guidance Plan for FY 2014

(1) What is the Imported Foods Monitoring and Guidance Plan?

The Imported Foods Monitoring and Guidance Plan is a plan for the implementation of monitoring and guidance conducted by the national government with respect to imported foods (Article 23, paragraph 1 of the Act).

[Objective] To ensure greater safety of imported foods by promoting the national government to conduct inspections at the time of importation and to conduct monitoring of and guidance for importers in an intensive, effective and efficient manner.

(2) Principles for Monitoring and Guidance on Imported Foods

Under the Article 4 of the Food Safety Basic Act (Act No.48 of 2003) (that is, food safety shall be ensured by taking appropriate measures at each stage of the domestic and overseas food supply process), the Plan is prepared in order that three stages of food safety measures are taken, namely, in the exporting country, at the time of importation, and at the time of domestic distribution.

(3) Priority Items for Monitoring and Guidance
(4) Promotion of Food Safety Measures in Exporting Countries
(5) Guidance for Importers on Voluntary Safety Control

*1: Systematic inspections based on statistical concepts that take into account the volume of imports and violation rates and others, for each food type.

*2: With regard to items having a high probability of being in violation of the Act, inspections are ordered to the importer by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare at each importation. Items are not permitted to import or distribute unless the results of the inspection comply with the regulations.

*3: Regulations by which the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare can prevent the sale or import of specified foods, without the need for inspections, in cases where it is deemed specifically necessary from the perspective of preventing harm to public health.

3. Inspection Results of Imported Foods Monitoring and Guidance Plan for FY 2014 (Interim Report: Tentative)

Looking at the declarations, inspections and violations made from April through September of 2014 (Table 1), there were 1,138,913 [1,106,117] declarations, and the weight of declared items was 11,952,000 [12,321,000] tons.

Inspections were carried out on 99,165 items (there were inspection orders on 28,153 items, monitoring inspections on 27,719 items, and voluntary inspections on 47,739 items) [104,766 items (inspection orders on 30,983 items, monitoring inspections on 29,396 items, and voluntary inspections on 48,859 items)]. Of these, 430 cases [562 cases] were found to be in violation of the Act, and steps were taken for their reshipment, disposal, etc.

Records of violations categorized by Article (Table 2) show that violations of Article 11 of the Act, which is related to microbiological criteria for food, standards on agricultural chemical residues and standards for the use of additives, were the most common in 277 cases, followed by 114 cases violations of Article 6 which is related to contamination with hazardous or toxic substances such as aflatoxin, 28 cases violations of Article 18 which is related to standards for apparatus or containers and packaging, 22 cases violations of Article 10 which is related to restrictions on the sale of additives, 2 cases violations of Article 9 which is related to non­attachment of health certificates of meat or meat products, and 1 case violation of Article 18 (applied mutatis mutandis to Article 62) of the Act which is related to standards for toys.

Records of monitoring in FY 2014 (Table 3) show that, out of a total of 94,043 planned inspections, 55,770 were actually conducted (That’s an implementation rate of about 59%). Of these, a total of 56 constituted violations of the Food Sanitation Act, resulting in recalls and enhanced monitoring to identify possible future violations (Table 4). Additionally, as a result of enhanced monitoring, inspection for the imported foods which are considered to have a high probability of violating the Act, are strengthened and subject to inspection orders at the time of import (Table 5).

As of September 30, 2014, inspection orders had been applied to 17 items from all exporting countries and 72 items from 29 countries and 1 region. The records of inspection orders (Table 6) show that a total of 46,391 inspection orders were conducted and, of these, steps were taken for their re­shipment or disposal, etc. based on 105 violations of the Act.

Based on information from overseas on topics such as recalls of law-violating food products, reshipment was carried out and the monitoring system was enhanced, for issues such as the detection of diethylstilbestrol from pork in Denmark and the detection of Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O26 from natural cheese in France (Table 7).

Figures in brackets are for the same period in the previous year.

Table 1. Notification, Inspection and Violation Statuses (Apr-Sep 2014: Tentative)
No. of Notifications
(cases) *1
Amount of Import
(1,000 tons) *1
No. of Inspections *2 (cases) Percentage *3
(%)
No. of Violations
(cases)
Percentage *3
(%)
1,138,913 11,952 99,165
(28,153)*4
8.7 430 0.04
(previous FY)
1,106,117
12,321 104,766 9.5 562 0.05

*1 Cargoes of planned Import System (excluding time of first importation.) are not included.

*2 Values obtained after excluding overlapping cases from the total values of inspections by governments, registered laboratories, and public organizations of the exporting country.

*3 Proportion of the number of inspections to the number of notifications

*4 Figures relate to inspection orders

Table 2. Major Violation Cases (Apr-Sep 2014: Tentative)
Violated Article No. of Violations Proportion
(%)
Major Violations
Article 6 ( Foods and Additives prohibited of sales and distribution) 114 25.7 Aflatoxin contamination in almonds, figs, chestnuts, walnuts, spices, sesame seeds, corn, lotus seeds, job’s tears, pistachio nuts, peanuts etc.; detection of cyanide ; detection of Listeria monocytogenes from natural cheeses and unheated meat products; and decay, deterioration and generation of mold due to accidents during the transport of kidney beans, coffee beans, rice, wheat, soybeans, potatoes, etc.
Article 9 (Limitation on sales and distribution of diseased meats) 2 0.5 Non­attachment of health certificate
Article 10 (Limitation on sales and distribution of additives) 22 5.0 Use of undesignated additives (TBHQ, acid blue 3 sodium salt, azorubin, carbon monoxide, quinoline yellow, cyclamic acid, methyl-p-hydroxybenzoate, iodized salt, etc.)
Article 11 (Standards and specifications for foods and additives) 277 62.4 Violation of specifications for vegetables and frozen vegetables (violation of standards for residual pesticides); violation of specifications for seafood and processed products thereof (violation of standards for residual veterinary drugs, violation of standards for residual pesticides); violation of specifications for other processed products (positive reaction on coliform bacilli, etc.); non-conformity to standards for storage of heated meat products; non-conformity to standards for manufacturing food products in general; violation of standards for usage of additives (BHT, sorbic acid, sulfur dioxide, etc.); and violation of specifications for additives
Article 18 (Standards and specifications for instruments and containers/packages) 28 6.3 Violation of specifications/standards for instruments and containers/packages; violation of specification for raw materials.
Article 62 (Mutatis mutandis as applied to toys, etc.) 1 0.2 Violation of specifications for toys or their raw materials.
Total 444 (total)*1
430 (number of notified violations)*2
 

*1 Total number of item-by-item inspections

*2 Number of notifications for which inspection was carried out

Table 3. Implementation Status of Monitoring Inspections (Apr-Sep 2014: Tentative)
Food Group Category of Inspected Items*1 No. of Programs Planned in FY*2 No. of Programs Implemented No. of Violations
Livestock foods
Beef, pork, chicken, horse meat, poultry
Meat and other meats
Antibacterial substances, etc. 1,909 1,064 0
Residual agricultural chemicals 1,191 992 0
Additives 118 111 0
Pathogenic microorganism 686 344 0
Standards for constituents 295 259 0
Exposure to radiation 29 22 0
Removal of SRM 2,500 844 0
Processed livestock foods
Natural cheeses, meat products, ice cream, frozen products (meat products), and others
Antibacterial substances, etc. 2,266 1,315 0
Residual agricultural chemicals 1,697 1,126 0
Additives 1,247 892 0
Pathogenic microorganism 3,584 1,986 3
Standards for constituents 1,547 1,067 0
Seafood products
Bivalves, fish, shellfish (shrimps, crabs) and others
Antibacterial substances, etc. 2,752 1,423 1
Residual agricultural chemicals 1,613 1,228 0
Additives 297 163 0
Pathogenic microorganism 1,074 910 0
Standards for constituents 539 333 0
Exposure to radiation 34 19 0
Processed seafoods
Processed fish products (fillet, dried or minced fish, etc.), frozen food (seafood, fish), processed fish roe products, and others
Antibacterial substances, etc. 3,757 2,717 2
Residual agricultural chemicals 3,904 2,976 2
Additives 1,927 1,502 0
Pathogenic microorganism 4,063 2,771 1
Standards for constituents 2,867 1,795 11
Agricultural foods
Vegetables, fruits, wheat and barley, corn, beans, peanuts, nuts, seeds, and others
Antibacterial substances, etc. 2,979 1,724 0
Residual agricultural chemicals 9,129 5,884 12
Additives 774 538 0
Pathogenic microorganism 1,495 1,131 0
Standards for constituents 355 237 0
Mycotoxins 2,871 1,400 2
GMOs 235 220 0
Exposure to radiation 119 87 0
Processed agricultural foods
Frozen products (processed vegetables), processed vegetable products, processed fruit products, spices, instant noodles, and others
Antibacterial substances, etc. 598 320 0
Residual agricultural chemicals 8,148 4,970 5
Additives 4,222 3,096 0
Pathogenic microorganism 956 781 0
Standards for constituents 2,499 1,763 6
Mycotoxins 2,594 1,482 0
GMOs 427 71 1
Exposure to radiation 424 240 0
Other foods
Health foods, soups, seasonings, confectionaries, edible oils, fat, frozen products, and others
Residual agricultural chemicals 1,434 737 0
Additives 2,685 1,647 3
Standards for constituents 598 266 1
Mycotoxins 1,135 545 0
Drinks and beverages
Mineral water, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, and others
Residual agricultural chemicals 358 301 0
Additives 1,374 876 0
Standards for constituents 657 441 1
Mycotoxins 118 78 0
Additives
Equipment, containers and packages
Toys
Standards for constituents 1,433 1,050 5
Total (number)
6,530 were added to the No. of Programs Planned in FY as “foods subject to enhanced monitoring inspections.”
94,043 55,770
Rate of program implemented: about 59%
56

*1: Examples of tested substances

*2:The number of item-by-item programs planned of antibacterial substances, agricultural chemicals, etc.

Table 4. Items Subject to Enhanced*1 Monitoring Inspections*2(Apr-Sep 2014)
Country/Region Subject Foods Test Item
China Constricted tagelus Prometryn
Sea urchin (for raw consumption) Vibrio parahaemolyticus*4
Chinese pepper
(Zanthoxylum bungeanum)
Aflatoxin
Sesame seed Dicofol
Taro Chlorpyrifos
Octopus Furazolidone
Carrot Triadimenol
Allium Wakegi Difenoconazole
Thailand Green soybeans Triazophos
Feverweed Chlorpyrifos
Holy basil EPN
Pandanus palm leaf 2,4-D
South Korea Arch shell (for raw consumption) Vibrio parahaemolyticus*3
Eel Ofloxacin
New Zealand Green peas Haloxyfop
Carrot Methamidophos
USA Celery Bifenthrin
Blueberry Buprofezin
India Chickpeas Glyphosate
Indonesia Boiled crab (for consumption without reheating) Vibrio parahaemolyticus*3
Ethiopia Coffee beans Chlorpyrifos
Australia Cottonseed Aflatoxin
Netherlands Cabbage Pencycuron
Ghana Cacao beans Fenvalerate
Taiwan Carrot Methamidophos
Philippines Sea urchin (for raw consumption) Vibrio parahaemolyticus*3
Honduras Coffee beans Chlorpyrifos

*1 In FY2014, enhanced monitoring inspections, which are to be implemented after a violation has been detected, were usually conducted on 30% of all import declarations. Items which had seen inspection orders rescinded as a result of import or inspection results were also handled in the same manner. However, if no similar violations were detected over 60 enhanced monitoring inspections or over 1 year, the items were returned to the normal inspection system.

*2 Excludes items in Table 5.

*3 As a measure to enhance inspections during the summer period, all (100%) import declarations were inspected (Jun-Oct 2014).

*4 As a measure to enhance inspections during the summer period, 30% of import declarations were inspected (Jun-Oct 2014).

Table 5. Items Shifted to Inspection Orders (Apr-Sep 2014)
Country/Region Subject food Test Item
Italy Unheated meat products (limited to the specified manufacturers) Listeria monocytogenes
Processed pistachio nuts products Aflatoxin
Spain Unheated meat products (limited to the specified manufacturers) Listeria monocytogenes
Processed pistachio nuts products Aflatoxin
China Onion Thiamethoxam
Foods (limited to the specified manufacturers) Cyclamic acid
France Natural cheese (limited to the specified manufacturers) Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O26
Unheated meat products (limited to the specified manufacturers) Listeria monocytogenes
Ghana Cacao beans Cypermethrin
South Korea Cultured olive flounder (limited to the specified farmers) Kudoa septempunctata
Nigeria Sesame seeds Aflatoxin
Bangladesh Cumin seeds Profenofos
Burkina Faso Sesame seeds Imidacloprid
Table 6. Items Subject to Inspection Orders and Inspection Results (Apr-Sep 2014: Tentative)
Country/Region Main subject foods Main test item No. of
tests
No. of
violations
All exporting countries
(17 items)
Peanut, almond, chili pepper, etc. Aflatoxin 5,511 32
Salted salmon roe Nitrite 177 2
Beans containing cyanide, cassava Cyanide 247 4
China
(20 items)
Eel, shrimp, soft-shelled turtle, etc. Sulfadimidine, malachite green, chlortetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, enrofloxacin, etc. 3,922 1
Vegetables, nuts, seafood, etc.
(green soybean, onion, spinach, peanut, bivalves, etc.)
Difenoconazole, thiamethoxam, prometryn, dieldrin (including aldrin), endrin, etc. 7,629 20
Bivalves Paralytic shellfish poison, diarrhetic shellfish toxin 3,206 0
All processed products Cyclamic acid 325 0
Chinese pepper(Zanthoxylum bungeanum), lotus seed Aflatoxin 35 1
South Korea
(11 items)
Bivalves Paralytic shellfish poison, diarrhetic shellfish toxin 82 0
Red chili, freshwater clam Difenoconazole, endosulfan 58 2
Olive flounder Enrofloxacin, oxytetracycline 12 0
Arch shells Vibrio parahaemolyticus 2 0
Thailand
(8 items)
Okra, mango, green asparagus, banana, red chili, etc. EPN, chlorpyrifos, profenofos, cypermethrin, difenoconazole, etc. 1,275 1
Italy
(7 items)
Cheese, unheated meat products, etc. Listeria monocytogenes 1,019 6
Chestnut, pistachio nuts, etc. Aflatoxin 248 3
India
(6 items)
Cultured shrimp Furazolidone 723 5
Cassia torea, chickpea Aflatoxin 56 0
Cumin seeds, red chili, etc. Profenofos, glyphosate, triazophos, etc. 43 1
Other (24 countries and 1 region, total 40 items) 21,821 27
Total 46,391 105
Table 7. Major Examples of Enhanced Monitoring Based on Overseas Information(Apr-Sep 2014)
Month of
enhancement
Subject
country
Subject food and details Background and status
July Denmark Danish pork processed by DANISH CROWN (EST.71)
(May contain diethylstilbestrol)
Information was received stating that in Denmark diethylstilbestrol was detected in urine of pigs processed by DANISH CROWN (EST.71) and the relevant products were being voluntarily recalled. When an import notification was made for pork processed at the relevant facility, steps were taken for re-shipment etc.
July France Soft and semi-soft type natural cheese
(May be contaminated with Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O26)
Information was received stating that in France enterohemorrhagic E. coli O26 was detected in soft and semi-soft type natural cheese and the relevant products were being voluntarily recalled. When an import notification was made for such recall products, steps were taken for re-shipment.
September France Natural cheese
(May be contaminated with Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O26)
Information was received stating that in France enterohemorrhagic E. coli O26 was detected in semi-hard type natural cheese and the relevant products were being voluntarily recalled. Steps were taken to specify the relevant manufacturer subject to inspection orders.
(Reference) Description of key terms in the interim report
Term Description
Acid blue 3 sodium salt Undesignated additive
Nitrite Additive (color former)
Azorubin Undesignated additive
Aflatoxin Mycotoxin (produced by fungi such as Aspergillus)
Carbon monoxide Undesignated additive
Genetic modification Technology, for instance, to fragment bacterial genes and arrange the gene sequences or introduce the fragmented genes into other organism’s genes
Imidacloprid Agricultural chemical (chloronicotinyl insecticide)
Endosulfan Agricultural chemical (organochlorine insecticide)
Endrin Agricultural chemical (organochlorine insecticide)
Enrofloxacin Veterinary drug (new quinolone synthetic antibacterial agent)
Oxytetracycline Veterinary drug (tetracycline antibiotic)
Ofloxacin Veterinary drug (new quinolone synthetic antibacterial agent)
Quinoline yellow Undesignated additive
Glyphosate Agricultural chemical (organophosphorus herbicide)
Chlortetracycline Veterinary drug (tetracycline antibiotic)
Chlorpyrifos Agricultural chemical (organophosphorus insecticide)
Diarrhetic shellfish toxin Shellfish poison (mainly refers to toxins produced by a harmful plankton accumulated in bivalves)
Cyclamic acid Undesignated additive
Cyanide Harmful or poisonous substance (cyanide-related compounds (e.g., cyanogenic glycoside) found in vegetables such as some varieties of beans)
Diethylstilbestrol Veterinary drug (hormonal agent)
Dicofol Agricultural chemical (organochlorine insecticide)
Difenoconazole Agricultural chemical (triazole fungicide)
Cypermethrin Agricultural chemical (pyrethroid insecticide)
Sulfadimidine Veterinary drug (synthetic antibacterial agent)
Sulfamethoxazole Synthetic antibacterial agent (sulfur agent)
Thiamethoxam Agricultural chemical (neonicotinoid insecticide)
Vibrio parahaemolyticus Pathogenic microorganism (a bacterium living in seawater (estuaries, coastal areas, etc.) that commonly contaminates fish and shellfish, and causes abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, fever and vomiting)
Enterohemorrhagic E. coli Pathogenic microorganism (a bacterium that normally lives in the intestines of animals. It contaminates foods and drinking water by way of feces and urine, and causes acute abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea with large amounts of fresh blood after early cold-like symptoms)
Dieldrin (including aldrin) Agricultural chemical (organochlorine insecticide)
Deoxynivalenol Mycotoxin (produced by Fusarium fungi)
Triadimenol Agricultural chemical (phenoxy fungicide)
Triazophos Agricultural chemical (phenoxy insecticide)
Patulin Mycotoxin (produced by fungi of the genus Penicillium, Aspergillus, etc.)
Methyl-p-hydroxybenzoate Undesignated additive
Haloxyfop Agricultural chemical (organochlorine herbicide)
Bifenthrin Agricultural chemical (pyrethroid insecticide)
Fenvalerate Agricultural chemical (pyrethroid insecticide)
Buprofezin Agricultural chemical (heterocyclic fungicide)
Furazolidone Veterinary drug (nitrofuran synthetic antibacterial agent), generates AOZ when metabolized
Profenofos Agricultural chemical (organophosphorus insecticide)
Prometryn Agricultural chemical (triazine herbicide)
Pencycuron Agricultural chemical (urea fungicide)
Paralytic shellfish poison Shellfish poison (mainly refers to toxins produced by a harmful plankton accumulated in bivalves)
Malachite green Veterinary drug (triphenylmethane synthetic antibacterial agent)
Methanol An alcohol used as organic solvent etc.
Methamidophos Agricultural chemical (organophosphorus insecticide)
Iodized salt Undesignated additive
Listeria monocytogenes Pathogenic microorganism (a microorganism widely found in the natural environment that mainly contaminates dairy products and processed meat products, and causes influenza-like symptoms with tiredness and fever)
2,4-D Agricultural chemical (phenoxy acid herbicide)
EPN Agricultural chemical (organophosphorus insecticide)
Kudoa septempunctata Parasite that causes food poisoning (Myxosporidia)
TBHQ Undesignated additive

Return To Top