The current status of the nutrition labelling and health claim systems of foods in Japan

In 2015, Food Labelling Standard under the Food Labeling Act was set by the Consumer Affairs Agency, the nutrition information labeling of processed foods and food additives, which had previously been optional, become mandatory and then fully mandatory in 2020. The nutritional components of this system include energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and salt equivalents. On the other hand, in the EU and other countries, front-of-pack nutrition labeling, such as Keyhole and Nutri-Score, has been utilized in addition to nutrition information labelling. In Japan, the Consumer Affairs Agency is currently considering a "Japanese front-of-pack nutrition labelling" that would display on processed foods, in addition to the five currently mandatory labelling, the amount of these items as a percentage of the nutrient reference values. On the other hand, the "Food with Health Claim System" has been in conducted since 2001, and there are three types of food categories: Foods for specified health uses, Foods with nutrient function claims, and Foods with function claims in these days. This review will introduce the current status of the nutrition labelling and health claim systems of foods in Japan.