Provisional Translation
| OTO No. | 407 | Classification | MHW-197 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of Acceptance | May 9, 1990 | Ministry/Agency Receiving Complaint | Economic Planning Agency |
| Responsible Ministries | Ministry of Health and Welfare | Related Laws | Food Sanitation Law |
| Complainant | Domestic firm | Exporting Countries | UK |
| Subject | Concerning the import of ingredients for health foods and physiological functional foods 1. Making the inspection for radiation more explicit and flexible. 2. Making the administrative inspection more explicit and flexible. |
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| Details of Measures | 1. The quarantine stations conduct inspection of foodstuff imports to see that nothing is imported into Japan in violation of the Food Sanitation Law, and it is imperative that a decision be made prior to import whether or not the products in accordance with the Food Sanitation Law. As a result, it is impossible to conduct the inspection for radiation after import. It was explained that this is especially true radiation contamination since, unlike additive that are included intentionally in the production process, irradiation is different for each item and it is necessary to inspect each item for possible contamination and that the inspection cannot be done after import even if the same product is being imported on a continuing basis. 2. Importers are told roughly how long it will be before a decision is available when the administrative inspection is conducted at the quarantine station, but it is difficult to tell from this inspection alone whether or not the product is in accordance with the Food Sanitation Law and it is sometimes necessary to conduct follow-up inspection, in which case the inspection may take longer. It was further replied that it might be possible to switch from administrative inspection to self-inspection if the quarantine office having jurisdiction is contacted well advance. |
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| Classification of Processing | 1. D 2. Ca |
Directions | 1. II-a 2. II-a |
| Remarks | |||