'Export to Japan' webinar series 32: Registration process and procedures: Functional, nutritious, and free-from food

30-minute online training on what you should know about processes and procedures relating to EU exports to Japan. It covers trade and administrative rules and regulations relevant to EU businesses which are new to exporting as well as those which carry out regular, on-going businesses with Japan.

Focus is given to small and medium sized EU enterprises (SMEs) and to those sectors which offer growing opportunities to EU exports to Japan, i.e., food and health sectors.

How are healthy foods regulated in Japan?

Since the 1970s, Japan has successfully achieved a dramatic decrease in mortality rate and increase in longevity.  Now Japanese consumers are interested in leading a long healthy life by changing life styles including the one on dietary habits.  Health and wellness are especially important in rapidly ageing Japan and Japanese consumers are increasingly interested in food and beverages that are less processed and have more natural and organic ingredients, as well as being environmentally friendly. 

Functional foods were first introduced and regulated in Japan in the 1980s. Functional foods are those modified to provide extra health benefits beyond general food itself with additional nutrients.  A new category of functional foods (FFC) was added with simplified registration process and procedure in 2015 which explosively expanded functional food market in Japan. General, natural food itself contains important nutrients, therefore when processed, it is regulated to indicate the nutrient contribution of energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, sodium and others. It is also regulated to indicate certain allergen ingredients in order to protect consumers.  Organic food production is regulated to meet the Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) in order to promote sustainable agriculture.  Organic food producers are inspected to receive an organic JAS certification.

The webinar targets EU small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

In 30 minutes from your desk, discover:

• Functional foods
• Natural, nutritious foods
• ‘Free from’ foods
• Organic foods

Programme:

• Introduction
• Expert’s presentation
• Q&A Session

Registration deadline: 25 January 2022

Speaker: Chieko Nakabayashi worked at the United Nations Industrial Development (UNIDO) in Vienna, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, and Japanese bilateral ODA agencies. She is currently a professor and a consultant, specialized in cross-border business development in industrial and agricultural sectors and cross-cultural business communications. 
Moderator: Pauline Laloux, Business Support Coordinator, EU-Japan Centre
Organiser: EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation - Brussels Office

Deliverables