In an article published on September 7, 2017 by regulatory news provider Chemical Watch, reporter Aya Kawanishi informed that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has issued guidelines for food contact materials (FCMs) under a “positive list” regulatory system. The guidelines specify corporate standards for companies to ensure the safety of FCMs under the country’s food sanitation law. The rules include: 1) Managing human resources and facilities to uphold product quality and hygiene, 2) ensuring the safety and quality of products, 3) communicating information across the supply chain, and 4) setting up countermeasures for health hazards. Japan currently has a regulatory system based on negative lists specifying materials and substances not allowed for use in FCMs. A report published by the Committee on the Regulation of Food Utensils, Containers and Packaging in June 2017 confirmed the shift to a system based on positive lists. The guidelines present “a prerequisite to the smooth operation of a positive list system,” Kawanishi explained.
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Aya Kawanishi (September 7, 2017). “Japan issues guidelines for FCM ‘positive list’ regulation.” Chemical Watch
