Objective: Nutrition labeling values of foods have been self-certified by the industry, and therefore compliance tests, i.e. chemical analysis by third-party laboratories, are performed to assure the accuracy of the labeled values. The Food Labeling Act has commissioned several third-party laboratories for conducting the compliance tests, and it is important to maintain analytical quality among these laboratories. Therefore, a proficiency test was conducted to investigate the situation of registered laboratories under the Food Sanitation Act, which could be entrusted with the compliance test, and case study analyses of the poor results were also conducted to clarify the causes.
Methods: A homogeneous food sample in nutrients was distributed to the 54 registered laboratories without any information except for ingredients. The amount of energy and major nutrients namely calories, protein, fat, carbohydrate, and sodium were tested. Reported results were evaluated using 3 criteria, i.e., the results are not statistical outliers, bias is within statistically acceptable range, and bias is within tolerance limit of declared values.
Results: The results reported by 49 laboratories (91%) were considered adequate. Meanwhile, the results reported by 5 laboratories (9%) contained disputable items, and the breakdown was as follows: 3 laboratories for calories, 0 laboratory for protein, 2 laboratories for fat, 1 laboratory for carbohydrate, and 2 laboratories for sodium (some of them were overlapped). Extreme analytical conditions seemed to be one of the factors for the poor results.
Conclusion: In the present study, a large number of laboratories were found to perform adequate analyses of the amount of major nutrients. Sharing of information, such as how to set up analytical conditions, can help improve technical levels.

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Objective: This study examines the association between the household income of families and food intake of Japanese schoolchildren.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a self-reported questionnaire was conducted among children in the 5^th grade (aged 10~11 years) and their parents. The children were chosen from 19 different elementary schools in five cities and one village across four prefectures in eastern Japan. The survey was carried out from September through December 2013. Complete data sets from 920 pairs of children and parents were analyzed.
We classified the subjects into two groups based on the poverty line: low and high household income. Chi-squared tests were used to analyze the frequency (per week) of three aspects: (1) meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and late-night meals), (2) intake of various foods in the family, and (3) eating out. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the associations between household income and intake frequency.
Results: The chi-squared tests showed a significant association between the frequencies each of breakfast, vegetable consumption, snack noodles, eating out, and household income. The low-income group had lower frequencies of breakfast, vegetable consumption and eating out. They had higher intake frequencies of meat/fish products and snack noodles than the high-income group.
Conclusions: The results show that the household income of families is associated with the food intake frequency of Japanese schoolchildren.

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Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between selenium (Se) intake and serum Se level in elderly facility residents and to clarify issues related to food service for appropriate nutritional management in the elderly.
Methods: A 3-day diet survey was conducted among nine women who lived in a facility for elderly patients. Food intake data were analyzed using the Duplicated Method. Se intake was measured using chemical analysis and calculated based on the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan and the Table of Trace Element Contents in Japanese Foodstuffs. The serum Se levels of each subject were measured and their association with Se intake was evaluated.
Results: The mean Se intake of the subjects was 51 μg/day for actual measured values and 94 μg/day for calculated values, both of which are higher than the RDA for Japanese women. Se intake is significantly positively correlated with food serving sizes. The mean serum Se level (76 μg/l) was significantly positively correlated with Se intake (r = 0.70, p = 0.035). The largest dietary contributor to Se intake was fish (contribution rate, 37.9%), followed by meat (contribution rate, 27.6%).
Conclusions: Serum Se levels of the subjects were low; however, they do not appear to be Se-deficient. Se deficiency can be avoided through menu planning using the dietary composition table, giving the highest priority to energy and protein and positioning seafood and meat as the main food group.

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Objective: Nutrition labeling is important information for food choice, and it serves as a base for maintaining and promoting health through food. The nutrient reference value (NRV) is a reference for nutrition labeling on foods, but the way of establishing it varies among countries. With a view of food globalization, the objective in this report was to survey the NRVs established by the Codex Committee and by each country and compare them with the Japanese NRVs.
Methods: We surveyed government agencies’ websites and interviews with officers responsible for nutrition labeling for NRVs or corresponding reference values from Codex, the United States, Canada, the European Union, Australia/New Zealand, China, Korea, and Japan.
Results: For Codex and each country, NRVs of vitamins and minerals were established based on the values equivalent to the Recommended Dietary Allowance of Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese. For sodium, many countries adopted the value recommended by the World Health Organization, but for potassium, the either values for requirement or for risk reduction of non-communicable diseases (NCD) were adopted. In Japan, both NRVs were set as Dietary Goals aimed at reducing the risk of NCDs. Basically, the NRVs of each country adopted the established criteria of Codex, but in the details, it adopted its own strategy.
Conclusions: It is important to consider the characteristics of public nutrition, such as the nutrient intake of the general population of each country as well as the consistency with the international standard of setting NRVs for the purpose of nutrition labeling.

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Background: We investigated the changes in the survey items of the eating habits questionnaires and lifestyle questionnaires used in the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHNS, formerly Japan National Nutrition Survey), with the aim of incorporating useful data for future policy decisions.
Methods: We summarized the description of eating habits questionnaires and lifestyle questionnaires and marshaled the changes in the survey items of the NHNS from 1946 to 2013. In addition, we incorporated data regarding items that were comparable for five years or more.
Results: Regarding eating habits, “Intake status of breakfast” had data comparable for five years, while “missed meal frequency” and “dining out habits” had data comparable for six years. Regarding lifestyle, “alcohol intake” and “smoking” had data comparable for ten years. Until 2003, the phrasing of questions and responses varied in each survey year.
Discussion: Sixteen survey items had data comparable for five or more year, conducted on subjects aged twenty years and older. The 2003 decision by the Healthy Japan 21 Evaluation Technique Examination Committee to frame “the survey items which should be monitored every year” had influenced the standardization of the questionnaire.

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