. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/JPN/61
8 December 2000
(00-5342)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  JAPAN
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Health and Welfare
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicableRegions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
Ingredients of foods with health claims in forms different from ordinary foods, such as
capsule- and tablet-form.  The target ingredients are vitamins and minerals as nutritive
substances, and food additives, such as excipients and emulsifiers, used in manufacturing
and processing.
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Setting guidelines for the
designation of ingredients of foods with health clams in forms different from ordinary
foods, such as capsule- and tablet-form, and for the revision of standards for their use
(5 pages, available in English)
5. Description of content:  The guidelines are designed to describe the procedures required to
apply for the designation of ingredients of foods with health claims in forms different from
ordinary foods, such as capsule- and tablet-form, and for the revision of standards for their
use.  The guidelines also describe the scope of document that should be submitted with the
application for safety assessment.  The guidelines will state that, if enough safety
information of ingredients relating to pharmaceutical area are available or there are other
valid reasons, some documents required by the current guidelines for designation of foodadditives may be exempted.
6. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [    ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [     ] protect territory from
other damage from pests           
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  The concepts of the guidelines are based on
Principles for the Safety Assessment of Food Additives and Contaminants in Food
developed by JECFA (FAO/WHO).
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  The basic law is the
Food Sanitation Law.  The guidelines will  appear in "DIRECTOR GENERAL NOTICE"
when adopted.  Related amendments to standards for food labelling of foods with health
claims and related guidelines will appear in "KAMPO" (Official Government Gazette).G/SPS/N/JPN/61
Page 2
9. Proposed date of adoption:  These proposed standards will be adopted after the comment
period.
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  These proposed standards will basically take effect
after a certain period of grace.
11. Final date for comments:  9 February 2001
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [  X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:           
12. Texts available from: [     ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: