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Foreign companies that want to sell dietary supplements in Japan face a formidable and complex import process, according to a report by U.S. officials in Tokyo.
The report, aimed at helping clarify the process for U.S. manufacturers, first describes the requirements under the Japanese laws that affect imports of dietary supplements into Japan, and then provides the step-by-step procedures for importing those products.
Four Main Laws
The four main laws that directly affect imports of dietary supplements are the Nutrition Improvement Law, the Pharmaceutical Law, the Food Sanitation Law, and the socalled labeling law. Labeling Law
The title "labeling law" is actually a misnomer, since labeling regulations in Japan are not contained in a separate law but included in several different laws. The common practice, however, is to refer to them collectively as the "labeling law." Under the labeling law" Under the labeling law, all packaged retail food products, including dietary supplements, are required to have the following information written in Japanese on the package-either printed directly on the package or attached by seal:
- name of the product
- ingtedients;
- country of origin;
- special storage instructions, if necessary;
- net weight in grams;
- address of importer or manufacturer
expiration date.
Food Sanitation Law
The main force of this law in regard to dietary supplements is to make sure that any additives used are listed in the Ministry of Health and Welfare`s positive list of approved ingredients. Until two years ago, additives made from natural sources were not subject to this law. Now, however,...