Regulation of Food Contact Materials (FCM) in Japan
FCM Notification
With the revision of the Japanese Food Sanitation law, a positive list system was introduced for food contact materials placed on the Japanese market in June 2020. According to the new system, only substances complying with Japan’s safety requirements can be used in food utensils, containers and packaging placed on the Japanese market. A Food Contact Material Safety Centre was established within the Japan Chemical Innovation and Inspection Institute to supervise the enforcement and implementation of the new system, and to improve the cooperation between the private sector and the authorities in Japan. The revised regulation will be fully enforced starting from June 2025.
During the transition period (2020 – 2025), food contact materials containing substances not on the positive list are allowed to continue to be sold as long as these FCMs had been available on the market before June 2020.
Our FCM Services in Japan
Our services include:
Evaluating the conformity of your food contact material to the new requirements and positive list
Defining and initiating hygiene test strategies
Designing and monitoring of safety studies
Preparation and submission of notifications
Follow up after the completion of notifications
