Abstract
This paper examines the risks of aspartame, a type of food additive, as an example. Based on the risks of aspartame, this article reviews the current state of food additive regulations in Japan. Based on related trends in other countries and previous studies, the following two "fallacies" were identified. Specifically, this paper points out that there are "fallacies" in risk recognition regarding carcinogenicity and reproductive genotoxicity, and "fallacies" in approaches to setting various standard values for food additives and their effects. Based on these points, this paper has clarified the essential issues that give rise to these "fallacies". Furthermore, based on this essential issue, this paper examines the future form of food additive regulations in Japan from the perspectives of the prevention principle and the precautionary principle. Finally, from the perspective of policy-making and legal policy studies associated with risk administration and uncertainty administration, this paper conducts an investigation based on the "typification of risk trade-off" (framework) presented in previous studies. As a result, I presented a new perspective (policy implications) by examining the boundaries (thresholds) of evidence in "causal relationships and correlation relationships" and the relationship between their uncertainties.
