Japan - Certification Requirements

Acts and Regulations

Japanese Food Sanitation Law:

• prohibits the production, import or sale of unsanitary foods, from diseased animals and foods not conforming with established standards.
• requires importers of food to submit import notifications to the quarantine station.

Japanese Food Inspection Law:

• governs health standards for all food products.
• sets out specific requirements which have to be met before products are permitted on the Japanese market.

Labelling and Marking Standards:

• goods must have a sticker attached to each package after importation showing, in Japanese, a detailed description of the contents, including artificial colours or preservatives, name and address of importer and date of importation.
• metric measures must be used.

Import Procedures Contact:

Office of Port Health Administration
Food Sanitation Division
Ministry of Health and Welfare
1-2-2 Kasumigaseki
Chome ChiyodaKu, Tokyo
Japan
Tel: 03-3591-5048

Internet site for information on exports to Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Tolerances and Guidelines

Live Lobsters and Lobster Products Containing Tomalley

Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) content is less than 80 µg/100 g.

All Fish

Total mercury - 0.4 ppm (does not apply to tuna or sturgeon, fish oils, gelatin or other fish by-products)

Methyl mercury - 0.3 ppm (does not apply to tuna or sturgeon, fish oils, gelatin or other fish by-products)

PCB - 0.5 ppm (does not apply to fish oils, gelatin or other fish by-products)

Additives

Additives for use on fish products which are not permitted in Canada may be used on products exported to Japan (see list of approved additives attached.)

Certification requirements

Certificate of Inspection, Content; CFIA/ACIA 5006 formerly (FP 1408) *

*NOTE: For molluscs, a certificate is required, stating that the Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) content is less than 80 µg/100 g.

Live Lobster and Lobster Products Containng Tomalley

Before requesting a certificate, the exporter must have provided the CFIA with a description of their controls that follow the Guidance Document - Export of Live Lobsters and Lobster Products Containing Tomalley.

Exporter must appear on the "List of Exporters of Live Lobster and Lobster Tomalley Products to Japan". List of Exporters of Live Lobster and Lobster Tomalley Products to Japan.

The exporter must include the results of tests performed on the lobsters being shipped to Japan with each certificate request to show that the levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) toxin in the hepatopancreas met Japan's standard of 80 µg/100 g.

Certificate of Origin and Hygiene with the following statement included on the certificate:

- The consignor listed below is controlling their shipments of lobsters in accordance with the "Guidance Document - Export of Live Lobsters and Lobster Products Containing Tomalley".

NOTE - The exporter's physical address must appear on both the "Certificate of Origin and Hygiene" and the "List of Exporters of Live Lobster and Lobster Tomalley Products to Japan."

Pre-certification

A pre-certification procedure is available for processed-fish products exported to Japan, except for the following types of products:

• products to which simple processing has been applied. Simple processing includes exuviation, chopping, comminuting, slight-salt sprinkling and drying, slicing or shucking, or refrigerating.
• salted salmon-roe in which sodium nitrite has been added.

Raw Oyster products

Raw oyster products must originate from an establishment and harvest area/lease published on the "List of Canadian Certified Shellfish Dealers and Leases Approved to Export their Products to Japan". For information on the procedure to get an establishment or growing area/lease published on this list, please contact your local CFIA office.

Raw oyster products must be accompanied by a Certificate of Origin and Hygiene CFIA / ACIA 5003 (2002/05) stating that:

1. The product meets the requirements of the Fish Inspection Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-12 and the Fish Inspection Regulations, C.R.C., c. 802 as amended from time to time and the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program.
2. The product originates from oyster harvesting areas where the total coliform geometric mean MPN of the water samples does not exceed 70 per 100 grams and not more than 10 percent of the water samples can exceed an MPN of 230 per 100 grams as determined by regular coliform testing.

The certificate must also indicate the:

1. Geographic and Harvest Area
2. Harvest Date, and
3. Growing area/Lease no.

NOTE - The exporter's physical address must appear on both the "Certificate of Origin and Hygiene" and the "List of Canadian Certified Shellfish Dealers and Leases Approved to Export their Products to Japan".

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Approved Food Additives for Products Exported to Japan

Crab

1) BL-7P
Antioxidant composed of:

• 0.8% L-tryptophan
• 2.4% Sodium metaphosphate
• 3.2% Sodium D-tartrate
• 4.7% Sodium polyphosphate
• 3.3% Sodium citrate
• 4.6% Sodium hydrogen pyrophosphate
• 2.5% Sodium L-glutamate
• 11.3% Sodium erythorbate
• 67.2% Sodium hydrogen sulfite

2) BS-1
Composed of:

• Sodium bisulfite
• Citric acid (Anhydrous)
• Sodium citrate

3) Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate

4) New Celco - L
Composed of:

• Sodium alginate
• Propylene glycol
• Food Ingredients - glucose, saccharose, and corn syrup powder

5) New Celco - NA
Composed of:

• Sodium phosphate, Tribasic (Anhydrous)
• Food ingredients - glucose, saccharose, carrageenan and acid alginate

6) New Celco - SW
Composed of:

• Carrageenan
• Tragacanth Gum
• Guar Gum

7) Toyooxin-S
Composed of:

• 60% Sodium bisulfite
• 40% Sodium acid pyrophosphate

Redfish

1) Ambitol-T
Antioxidant composed of:

• 10% butylated hydroxytoluene
• 17% gum arabic
• 28% vegetable oil
• 45% food ingredients

2) Sodium Erythorbate

Antioxidant

3) Sodium Citrate

Colour retention

4) Tairyo Dia Emulsion-T (emulsion form)

Tairyo Dia Powder T-15 (powder form)

Antioxidant composed of:

• Dibutyl hydroxytoluene
• Vegetable oil
• Gum arabic
• Water

Shrimp/Prawn

1) BL-7P
Antioxidant composed of :

• 0.8% L-tryptophan
• 2.4% Sodium metaphosphate
• 3.2% Sodium D-tartrate
• 4.7% Sodium polyphosphate
• 3.3% Sodium citrate
• 4.6% Sodium hydrogen pyrophosphate
• 2.5% Sodium L-glutamate
• 11.3% Sodium erythorbate
• 67.2% Sodium hydrogen sulfite

2) BL-S
Preservative composed of:

• Sodium pyrosulfite
• Sodium erythorbate
• Disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate
• Sodium polyphosphate
• Trisodium citrate
• Disodium L-tartrate
• Monosodium L-glutamate
• Sodium metaphosphate
• L-tryptophan

3) CI-25
Antioxidant composed of:

• Sodium bisulfite
• Sodium erythorbate
• Sodium L-ascorbate
• Sodium metaphosphate
• Sodium polyphosphate
• Sodium hydrogen pyrophosphate
• Sodium citrate
• Sodium D-tartrate
• Sodium L-glutamate
• L-tryptophan

4) Drycut-100 (DC-100)

Glazing agent composed of Xanthan gum

5) F. Wrap

Glazing wrap

6) Momiji
Antioxidant composed of:

• 0.05% L-tryptophan
• 2.00% Vitamin E
• 25.00% Sodium L-ascorbate
• 5.00% Sodium metaphosphate
• 0.20% Tricalcium phosphate
• 30.00% Sodium hydrogen sulfite
• 37.75% Natural substance

7) NK 70
Antioxidant composed of Glucose oxidase

8) Oxinon S
Antioxidant

9) Oxinon W
Antioxidant/glazing agent composed of:

• 17.5% Sodium Pyrosulfite (Sodium Metabisulfite)
• 10.0% Sodium Erythrobate
• 7.5% Sodium Polyphosphate
• 3.0% Sodium Alginate
• 62.0% Dextrin (malto dextrin)

10) Pole Ace G
Glazing agent composed of:

• D-sorbitol
• Sodium alginate
• Propylene glycol

11) Sakurambo
Antioxidant composed of:

• 0.02% L-tryptophan
• 12.90% Sodium pyrosulfite
• 10.75% Sodium L-ascorbate
• 2.15% Sodium metaphosphate
• 0.86% Vitamin E
• 0.09% Tricalcium phosphate
• 73.23% Natural substance

12) HI-Polygon
Antioxidant composed of:

• 75% sodium pyrosulfite
• 20% sodium polyphosphate
• 5% dehydrated corn syrup

General

1) Aluminum Potassium Sulfate (Dry)

Buffer and firming agent

2) BL-S

3) F. Wrap
Glazing agent composed of:

• Carrageenan
• Sucrose
• Dextrine

4) Glaze Nole-F

Glazing agent composed of Xanthan gum

5) Kyoro Tairyo Dia Emulsion T
Composed of:

• 10% Dibutyl hydroxytoluene
• 25% Vegetable oil
• 10% Gum arabic
• 55% Water

6) Nissui-A

Antioxidant composed of Glucose oxidase

7) Nissui-G

Glazing agent composed of Xanthan gum

8) Oxinon S
Antioxidant composed of:

• Sodium bisulfite
• Sodium polyphosphate

9) Sustane Emulsion T
Composed of:

• Dibutyl hydroxytoluene (B.H.T.), or
• Butylated hydroxytoluene

10) T-AOX
Glazing agent composed of:

• Sodium pyrosulfite
• Sodium polyphosphate

11) T-GLX

Glazing agent composed of Sodium alginate

12) Tairyo Dia-T
Antioxidant composed of:

• Dibutyl hydroxytoluene (B.H.T.)
• Butylated hydroxytoluene

a) Tairyo Dia Emulsion-T (emulsion form)
b) Tairyo Dia Powder T-15 (powder form)

13) Tairyo Dia Ve
Antioxidant composed of:

• Natural tocopherol
• Natural gum