Tokyo Food Safety Information Center » Tokyo Metropolitan Government food safety FAQ »How is imported food inspected at quarantine stations?
How is imported food inspected at quarantine stations?
How is imported food inspected at quarantine stations?
- What does the system for inspected imported food consist of?
At quarantine stations, a document review is conducted first at the time of import to check that food conforms to the regulations of the Food Sanitation Act and order inspection for food with a high possibility of being in violation. Systematic sample inspections are performed for other food.
With regard to ensuring the safety of imported food, the 32 quarantine stations around Japan perform inspections to check for conformance with Japanese food regulations and standards based on the Imported Foods Monitoring and Guidance Plan prepared by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare every year.
When food is imported, the importer has to provide an import notification to the quarantine station each time. On receiving the notification, the food sanitation inspector assigned to the quarantine station first reviews the document submitted. The inspector confirms conformity with the regulations of the Food Sanitation Act by checking the ingredients, the manufacturing method, past violations, and exporting country data.
Systematic sampling inspections are conducted for food for which imports are permitted based on document review. These are called monitoring inspections, and the number of inspections and the inspection categories are determined taking into account the volume of imports and violation ratio for each type of food.
When a violation of the Food Sanitation Act is discovered through monitoring inspection, inspections are strengthened through such means as increasing the inspection rate or making the imported food subject to an inspection order. Inspection requires time, so that food has sometimes already been distributed when an inspection is completed and a violation of the Food Sanitation Act has been discovered. In such cases, the local government with jurisdiction over the importer orders the recall or disposal of the food.
Other than this, as guidance for the voluntary hygiene management for importers, they are instructed to carry out voluntary inspections at the time of initial import and regularly to confirm conformity with the Food Sanitation Act.
When food is imported, the importer has to provide an import notification to the quarantine station each time. On receiving the notification, the food sanitation inspector assigned to the quarantine station first reviews the document submitted. The inspector confirms conformity with the regulations of the Food Sanitation Act by checking the ingredients, the manufacturing method, past violations, and exporting country data.
Systematic sampling inspections are conducted for food for which imports are permitted based on document review. These are called monitoring inspections, and the number of inspections and the inspection categories are determined taking into account the volume of imports and violation ratio for each type of food.
When a violation of the Food Sanitation Act is discovered through monitoring inspection, inspections are strengthened through such means as increasing the inspection rate or making the imported food subject to an inspection order. Inspection requires time, so that food has sometimes already been distributed when an inspection is completed and a violation of the Food Sanitation Act has been discovered. In such cases, the local government with jurisdiction over the importer orders the recall or disposal of the food.
Other than this, as guidance for the voluntary hygiene management for importers, they are instructed to carry out voluntary inspections at the time of initial import and regularly to confirm conformity with the Food Sanitation Act.