Japanese Agricultural Standard  for Organic Processed Foods 
(Notification No. 1606 of th e Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of October 27, 2005) 
(Preliminary Translation) 
Established: Notification No.60 of January 20, 2000 
Partial revision: Notification No.1885 of November 18, 2003  
Full revision:  Notification No .1606  of  October  27, 2005 
Partial revision:  Notification No.210 of  February 28,  2006 
Partial revision:  Notification  No.1464 of  October  27,2006 Partial revision:  Notificat ion No.834 of March  28, 2012 
Partial revision:  Notificat ion No.714 of March  27, 2015 
Partial revision:  Notification No.489 of  February 24,  2016 Partial revision:  Notification No.444 of March  27, 2017 
Partial revision:  Notification No.683 of March 29, 2018 
Partial revision:  Notification No.475 of June 27, 2019 Partial revision:  Notification No.1385 of July 16, 2020  
 
(Purpose) 
Article 1   The purpose of this standard is to define the criteria of pr oduction methods of organic 
processed foods. 
 
(Principle of Production of  Organic Processed Foods) 
Article 2   The principle of the production of organic processed foods is as follows: 
To produce organic processed foods by processi ng methods utilizing physical and biological 
functions, avoiding the use of chemically synth esized additives and chemical agents, and by 
preserving the characteristics of or ganic plants and organic livestock  products as ingredients in the 
manufacturing and processing process (organic plants  and organic livestock products are prescribed 
in Article 3 of Notification No.1605 of the Mini stry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and 
Article 3 or Notification No.1608 of the Minist ry of Agriculture, Fo restry and Fisheries 
respectively; hereinafter the same). 
 
(Definition) Article 3  In this standard, terms listed on the left side  of the table below are defined on the right 
side. 
Terms
 Definition  
Organic 
processed foods  Processed foods produced by the criteria in the next Article, of which weight of 
plants (except for organic plants), liv estock products (except for organic 
livestock products), marine products, their processed foods and additives 
(except for generic food additives (t hose generally provided for eating or 
drinking as foods; hereafter the same.) graded as orga nic processed foods and 
processing aids) of the total ingredie nts (except for water and salt) and 
additives (except for processing ai ds) shall be no more than 5%.  
Organic 
processed   
foods of plant origin
 Organic processed foods, of which weight of plants (except for organic plants), livestock products, marine products, their processed foods and additives 
(except for generic food additives graded as organic processed foods and 
processing aids) of the total ingredie nts (except for water and salt) and 
additives (except for processing ai ds) shall be no more than 5%.  
Organic 
processed   
foods of animal 
origin  Organic processed foods, of which weight of plants, livestock products (except for organic livestock products), marine  products, their processed foods and 
additives (except for generic food additiv es graded as organic processed foods 
and processing aids) of the total ingred ients (except for water and salt) and 
additives (except for processing aids) shall be no more than 5%.
 
Organic 
processed foods 
of plant and 
animal origin    Organic processed foods other than organic processed foods of plant origin 
and organic processed foods of animal origin.  Chemical 
treatments  Treatments fall under the category of 1 or 2. 
1 To change chemical structure of substances by chemical ways 
(except for burning, calcining, melting, dry distillating, and 
saponifying; hereafter the same). 
2  To add substances which are gain ed by chemical treatments (including 
the case in which final produce doesn ’t contain the added substances).  
Recombinant 
DNA technology
 Technology to create recombinant DNA by connecting DNA through breakage and recombination using enzyme, transferring it into living cells and replicating it.
 
Organic plants produced in the conversion fields
 Plants produced in conversi on fields prescribed in item 2 in the criteria of 
“fields” in Article 4 of the Japanese Agricultural Standard for organic plants.  
 
(Criteria of Production Methods) 
Article 4 The criteria of production methods for organic processed foods are as follows: 
Items  Criteria  
Ingredients and 
additives 
(including 
processing aids)  The use of any materials except for those described as below is prohibited. In 
case of difficulty to obtain organic pl ants, organic livestock products or 
organic processed foods with the sa me categories of those used for 
ingredients, those prescribed in items 2 or 4 may be used. 
1 Following materials, limited to those with grading labels on their 
packages, containers or invoices. Notwithstanding the grading labels, when organic processed foods are produced, manufactured and processed by the same producer or 
manufacturer, and are graded by Article 10 and Article 30 of 
the Law 
Concerning Japanese Agricultural Standards etc.  (Law No.175 
of 1950), those plant and livestock produc ts are permitted to be used as 
ingredients as well. 
(1) Organic plants 
(2) Organic processed foods 
(3) Organic livestock products 
2 Plants and livestock products excep t for products described in 1. 
Following materials shall be excluded. 
(1) Plants and livestock products w ith the same categories of organic 
plants and organic livestock pr oducts used for ingredients. 
(2)Ionizing radiated foods 
(3)Foods produced by the recombinant DNA technology 
3 Marine products (except for ionizing radiated foods and those 
produced by the recombinant DNA technology). 
4 Processed foods of plant, animal a nd fish origin (except for processed 
foods described in 1,(2), those with  the same categories of the organic 
processed foods of plant origin used  for ingredients, ionizing radiated 
foods, and those produced by the recombinant DNA technology).  
5 Salt 
6 Water 
7 Additive described in Attached Table 1 (except for those produced 
using the recombinant DNA tec hnology; hereafter the same.)  
Rate of 
ingredients and additives
 Weight of ingredients and additives pres cribed in item 2, 3, 4 and 7 (except 
for generic food additives graded as organic processed foods and processing aids) in the criteria of “ingredients” in this table shall be no more than 5% of 
the weight of all ingredients (except fo r salt and water) and additives (except 
for processing aids)).
 Management 
concerning manufacturing, processing, packaging, storage and other processes
 1 Only physical method or method using biological function (except for 
those produced by the recombinant DNA  technology; hereafter the same) 
shall be used for the manufacturing or processing. The use of additives shall be the minimum necessary. 
2 Organic plants, organic processed f oods and organic livestock products 
used for ingredients shall be controlled  not to be mixed with other plants 
and livestock products or processed foods. 
3 Only physical method or method using biological function (except for the 
method using recombinant DNA technology) shall be used for pest and 
disease control. In the case that or dinary means are not effective enough, 
chemical agents listed in Attached  Table 2 as well as food and additives 
(including those processed using these as ingredients and except for the purpose of pests control for plants) may be used. When those prescribed in 
Attached Table 2 are used, contamination of those with ingredients, 
additives and products shall be prevented. 
4 In case of insufficient effect of pest and disease control only by method 
prescribed in 3, except for period of manufacturing or storing of organic processed foods, chemical agents not listed in Attached Table 2 may be used. When used, those agents sh all be removed before starting 
manufacturing organic processed foods. 
5 Ionizing radiation shall not be used for pest and disease control, the foods 
preservation or sanitation. 
6 Foods produced or processed in accordan ce with the criteria of “Ingredients 
and additives (including processing aids )” and provisions from 1 to 5 on the 
above shall be controlled to  avoid exposure to substances fo r plant pest and 
disease control, detergent, disinfectant and other agents.
 
 
(Labelling of Organic Processed Foods and their ingredients) 
Article 5 Names of organic pro cessed foods and their ingredient s shall be labelled by methods 
prescribed below, even as shall be in accord ance with Food labeling standards (Cabinet Office 
Ordinance NO. 20 in 2015). 
 
Diviion  Criteria  
Labeling of names
 1 To attach one of the following labels. 
(1)“有機○○” or “○○(有機 )” (which means organic ○○ or ○○ 
(organic) in Japanese.) 
(2) “オーガニック ○○” or “○○(オーガニック )” (which means organic 
○○ or ○○ (organic) in Japanese.) 
(Note) The generic name of the pro cessed food shall be filled out in ○○.  
2. Notwithstanding the criteria 1, if or ganic plants harvested in the field under 
the conversion period are used, manufactur ed or processed as ingredients, 
the description “under the conversion peri od” shall appear before or after the 
name as prescribed in 1. When the description “under th e conversion period” 
is given adjacent to the commodity name  in the same size of letters larger 
than 14-point (JIS Z 8305) in a contra sting colour to the backgrounds, the 
description “under the conversion period ” before or after the name can be 
omitted. 
 Labelling of 
names of 
ingredients  1. As for organic plants (except for organic plants harvested in fields under 
the conversion period), orga nic processed foods (exc ept for those in which 
organic plants harvested in fields under the conve rsion period are used as 
ingredients) or organic   livesto ck products, are used as such as 
“organic” shall appear in general name s of plants or processed foods of 
plant origin. 
2. If organic plants harvested in fields  under the conversion period are used, 
manufactured or processed as ingr edients, the description “under 
conversion period” shall appear before  or after raw material names as 
prescribed in 1. When the descrip tion “under the conversion period” is 
given adjacent to the comm odity name in the same size of letters larger 
than 14-point (JIS Z 8305) in a contra sting colour to the backgrounds, the 
description “under the conversion peri od” before or after raw material 
names can be omitted.  
 
Attached Table 1         Additives 
INS 
numbers  
Additives   
Criteria  
330 Citric acid  Limited to be used as pH adjuste r or used fo r 
processed vegetable produc ts or processed fruit 
products.  
331iii Sodium citrate  Limited to be used fo r dairy products o r used fo r 
albumen and sausage as low temperature 
pasteurization.  
296 DL- malic acid  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin. 
270 Lactic acid  Limite d to be use d for processe d vegetable or 
rice products, for sausag e as casing, for dairy 
products as coagulating agent, and for cheese in saltin
g as pH ad juster. 
300 L- ascorbic acid  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin. 
301 Sodium L-ascorbate  Limited to be used fo r processed meat.  
 Tanni n 
(Extract ) Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t origin 
as filte r aid. 
513 Sulphuric acid  Limited to be used fo r extracted wate r in producing 
sugar as pH adjustment agent.  
500i Sodium carbonate  Limited to be used fo r confectionary, sugar, 
processed bean foods, noodles and bread, or for dairy 
products as neutralizin g substance.  
500ii Sodium bicarbonate  Limited to be used fo r confectionary, sugar, 
processed bean foods, noodle s and bread, beverages, 
vegetable products, proce ssed fruits or for dairy 
products as neutralizin g substance.  
501i Potassiu m carbonate  Limited to be used fo r drying processed frui t 
products, or used for grain processed foods, sugar,  
processed beans produc ts, noodles, bread or 
confectionary. 
170i Calciu m carbonate  In case fo r livestock products, limited to be used fo r 
dairy products (except for coloring) and for cheese as 
coagulating agent.  
503i Ammoniu m carbonate  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin. 
503ii Ammoniu m 
bicarbonate  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin. 
504i Magnesiu m carbonate  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin.  
508 Potassiu m chloride  Limited to be used fo r processed vegetable products, 
fruits processed products, seasonings or soup.  509 Calciu m chloride  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t origin 
and cheese as coagulating agent, or used for edible fat 
and oil, processed vegetabl e products, processed fruit 
products, processed beans pr oducts, dairy products or 
processed meat.  
511 Magnesiu m chloride  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t origin 
as coagulating agent or used for processed beans 
products.  
 Crude sea wate r 
magnesium chloride  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t origin 
as coagulating agent or used for processed beans products.
 
524 Sodium hydroxide  Limited to be used fo r processing suga r as pH 
adjustment agent or used for grain processed foods.  
525 Potassiu m hydroxide  Limited to be used fo r processing suga r as pH 
adjustment agent.  
526 Calciu m hydroxide  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin.  
334 L- tartaric acid  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin. 
335ii L-sodiu m tartrate  Limited to be used fo r confectionary.  
336i Potassiu m      
hydrogen L-tartrate  Limited to be used fo r grain processed foods o r 
confectionar y. 
341i Calciu m      
dihydrogen phosphate Limited to be used fo r powders as expanding agent.  
516 Calciu m sulphate  Limited to be used as coagulating agen t or used fo r 
the confectionary, the processed beans products or 
bread yeast. 
400 Alginic acid  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin.  
401 Sodium alginate  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin. 
407 Carrageenan  In case fo r processed foods of animal origin, limited 
to be used fo r dairy products.  
410 Carob bean gu m 
(Locust bean gum)  In case used fo r processed foods of animal origin, 
limited to be used for da iry products or processed 
meat.  
412 Guar gum In case used fo r processed foods of animal origin, 
limited to be used for dair y products, canned meat or 
egg products.  
413 Tragacant h gum  
414 Arabian gum  Limited to be used fo r dairy products, edible fa t and oil 
or confectionary.  
415 Xanthan gum  In case used fo r processed foods of animal origin, 
limited to be used for dair y products or confectionary.  
416 Karaya gum  In case used fo r processed foods of animal origin, 
limited to be used fo r dairy products o r confectionar y. 
 Casein  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin. 
 Gelatine  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin.  
440 Pectin  In case used fo r processed foods of animal origin, 
limited to be used fo r dairy products.  
 Ethanol  In case used fo r processed foods of animal origin, 
limited to be used fo r processed meat.  
307b Mix tocopherol  In case used fo r processed foods of animal origin, 
limited to be used fo r processed meat.  322 Lecithin (Vegetable-, 
Yolk-, Fractionated-, 
Sunflower-)  Limited to those obtained withou t any bleaching 
treatment and in case used for processed foods of 
animal origin, limited to be used for dairy products, 
baby foods derived from milk, fat and oil products or 
dressing.  
553iii Talc Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin. 
558 Bentonite  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin. Limited to be used for processed foods of plan
t origin.  
559 Kaolin  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin. 
 Diatomaceous earth  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin. 
 Perlite  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin. 
551 Silicon dioxide  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t origin 
as gel or colloidal solution.  
 Active carbon  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t 
origin. 
901 Beeswax  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t origin 
as separating agent.  
903 Carnauba wax  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t origin 
as se paratin g agent.. 
 Wood ash  Limited to those derived o r produced fro m natural 
sources without chemical treatment. Limited to be 
used for producing Okinawa soba, processed rice 
products, Japanese moist confectionaries, Chinese 
preserved eggs or alimentary konjac products or 
removing harshness of wild vegetable.  
 Flavourings  Excep t those chemically synthesized.  
941 Nitrogen   
948 Oxygen   
290 Carbon dioxide   
 Enzyme   
 Substances which are 
generally provided for eating or drinking as foods and which are used as food additives
  
 Sodium hypochlorite  Limited to be used fo r animal intestine as disinfection 
and used fo r egg as cleansin g. 
 Hypochlorous       
acid water  Limited to be used fo r processed foods of plan t origin 
(limited to those made by electrolysis of saltwater 
(limited to those used sa lt containing no less than 
99% sodium chloride)), animal intestine as 
disinfection, o r egg as cleansing  
297 Fumaric acid  Limited to be used fo r animal intestine as disinfection 
and used fo r egg as cleansin g. 
365 Monosodiu m fumarate  Limited to be used fo r animal intestine as disinfection 
and used for egg as cleansing.  
 Ozone Limite d to be use d for processe d foods of plant 
origin, animal intestine as disinfection, or egg as 
cleansin g 
460(ii)  Powdere d cellulose Limite d to be use d as a filtering ai d for organic 
processe d foods of plant ori gin. 
(Note)    INS numbers are numbers designate d to additives by the International Numbering 
System (INS). A t t a c h e d  T a b l e  2               C h e m i c a l  A g e n t s  
 
 
Chemical agents   
Criteria  
Extrac t from Pyrethrum  Those without piperonyl butoxide as synergist. 
Exce pt for the purpose of pests control for plants 
Diatomaceous earth   
Sodium silicate  Excep t for the purpose of pests control fo r plants.  
Sodium bicarbonate   
Carbon dioxide   
Potassiu m soap (Sof t soap)  Excep t for the purpose of pests control fo r plants.  
Ethanol  Excep t for the purpose of pests control fo r plants.  
Boric acid  Limited to be used in contai ners, and excep t for the 
purpose of pests control fo r plants 
Pheromone agen t Limited to those containing sex pheromone activity of 
insects as an active ingredient, and except for the purpose of pests control for plants.
 
Capsaici n Limite d to be use d as a repellent, an d except fo r 
the purpose of pests control for plants 
Geraniu m extrac t Limited to be used as a repellent, and excep t for the 
purpose of pests control for plants  
Citronella extrac t Limited to be used as a repellent, and excep t for the 
purpose of pests control for plants  
(Notes)   The use of chemical agents shall be in accordance with the prescribed usage. 
  
(Schedule of the last revision) 
Notification No.1385 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of July 16, 2020 shall be 
effective as from July 16, 2020.