Japan tightens the dairy governance process to improve standardization, secular fortification security

This was announced by the premises Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) after Japan transferred the administration of national food security standards of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW).

“All food companies wish to obtain approval of the type and mixture of ingredients of non-dairy or non-dairy origin to be used in powdered milk or liquid milk must now submit a request using (the specified form 1) as well as relevant documents by email or by e-mail to the inspection division of food sanitation standards”, said CAA via a formal declaration.

“It is now compulsory that the documents contain the following elements: name and address of the manufacturing installation (all installations must be listed if the product is manufactured in several places); product name; reason for the search for approval; information on the ingredients used in the product and mixing ratios; Safety documentation on all or applicable non -dairy (if applicable).

“For all products containing probiotic ingredients, additional documentation is necessary to ensure food security.”

Probiotic strains here are considered one of the main “non -tired ingredients” in question here, regardless of concentration.

The main products that should be affected by these new requirements are functional foods and fortified drinks using probiotics, as well as infant preparations developed with probiotics.

“Food security is the main concern here, and for infants or formula stumps must be the genus Bacilus subtilis and the genus, species and strain must be genetically identified for safety,” added CAA.

“For all foods, probiotic bacteria must have comparable or lower antibiotic resistance to other strains of the same species, the amount of d-lactic acid produced must be equivalent to other strains, and no harmful secondary bile acid should be present.

“Consumer tests must be carried out in advance without any safety problem found, and post-marketing monitoring of food, drinks or infant preparations containing probiotics must be carried out in Japan and abroad without health risks identified after ingestion.”

Probiotics were not the only ingredients of the development in this ad – it also included various additives used in condensed milk and general milk powders, manufacturers were also required to submit similar information via a process similar to that of probiotics.

“All manufacturers of condensed milk or milk powder or milk that use additives will be subject to the updated procedure – the products concerned include unwelling condensed milk, unwelling condensed skimmed milk, sweet condensed milk, skimmed skimmed milk, whole powdered milk, powdered milk and sweet sweet milk,” said CAA.

“That said, all the products that had received approval of the late on February 28, 2025 will be considered already approved and will be able to continue business as usual until further notice.

“A list of approved products will be made available on the CAA website, which allows greater visibility of consumers and transparency of the processes.”

Affected probiotic dairy products

In addition to infantiles that contain probiotics, all functional foods (using powdered milk) and drinks for general consumption, which are manufactured with a dairy base and contain probiotics for health benefits, will also be subject to this revised procedure.

Some examples of major brands would include the range of unwanted brand-brand probiotic dairy drinks containing the LC-PLASMA lactic bacteria as well as the Probiotic Yakult Probiotic drink on a global scale.