Abstract
Food labeling, a set of specific items of information presented on food packages, is intended to secure food safety and help people to improve or promote their health and nutritional status, and is regulated by the Food Sanitation Act, Japan Agricultural Standards Act, Health Promotion Act, and other laws. Among the items to be displayed, ingredient and nutrition labeling (under the Health Promotion Act) provides consumers with a basis for making healthy, nutritional food choices by presenting information on: the content of energy and nutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrate [sugars and dietary fiber], sodium, and others); nutrient content claims, such as “high/low”, “containing/not containing”, and “fortified/reduced”; nutrient function claims for Food with Nutrient Function Claims; and specified dietary use claims for Food for Specified Health Uses, in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. I review the current status of the Japanese regulatory system for food with health claims and related issues in light of international regulatory trends.
