'Export to Japan' webinar series 32: Registration process and procedures: Functional, nutritious, and free-from food

Since the 1970s, Japan has successfully achieved a dramatic decrease in mortality rate and increase in longevity.  Now Japanese consumers are interested in leading a long healthy life by changing life styles including the one on dietary habits. Health and wellness are especially important in rapidly ageing Japan and Japanese consumers are increasingly interested in food and beverages that are less processed and have more natural and organic ingredients, as well as being environmentally friendly.

Functional foods were first introduced and regulated in Japan in the 1980s. Functional foods are those modified to provide extra health benefits beyond general food itself with additional nutrients. A new category of functional foods (FFC) was added with simplified registration process and procedure in 2015 which explosively expanded functional food market in Japan. General, natural food itself contains important nutrients, therefore when processed, it is regulated to indicate the nutrient contribution of energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, sodium and others. It is also regulated to indicate certain allergen ingredients in order to protect consumers.  Organic food production is regulated to meet the Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) in order to promote sustainable agriculture.  Organic food producers are inspected to receive an organic JAS certification.

Target group

EU small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

Registration

Please find more information here and register by 25 January 2022.