Amendment to the Enforcement Ordinance of the Food Sanitation Law 
and the Standards and Specifications for Foods and Food Additives  
 
The government of Japan wi ll revise t he ex isting specifications and standards for 
food additives  and food additive composition . 
 
 
Summary  
The Food Sanitation Act  of Japan  (Act No. 233, 1947)  (“the Act”) , in Article 10 , 
prohibits the use and sale  of food additives  that the Minister of Health, Labour and 
Welfare ( “the Minister”)  does not designate  as approved . In addition, when 
specifications or standards for food additives are established based on Article 11 of 
the Act, those additives shall not be used or sold unless they meet the standards or 
specifications.  
 The specifications a nd standards established based on Article 11 of the Act are 
stipulated in the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification (Ministry of 
Health and Welf are Notification No. 370, 1959) . The Notification  contains general 
notices, general tests, and reagents and solutions required for the t esting of food 
additives as well as compositional specifications for additives and standards for the 
storage, manufacturing, and use there of.  
 
In response to a request from the Minister, the Committee on Food Additives of the 
Food Sanitation Council that is established under the Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation Council (“the committee” ) discussed whether it was adequate to 
revise the specifications and standards  for peracetic acid and peracetic acid 
composition . The committee  has concluded that the Minister should revise the 
specifications and standards based on Article 11 of the A ct. For details, see 
Attachment.  
 
Outline  
 The revision of specifications and standards is outlined in Attachment.  Attachment  
Revisi ng Specifications and Standards   
Peracetic Acid and Peracetic Acid Composition  
 
Outline of the revision  
 
As for  the revision of  specifications for p eracetic acid and specifications and 
standards for manufacturing of peracetic acid composition , they will be revised as 
below.   
（The underlined parts are to be revised ） 
 Revised standards and specifications  
(draft)  Current standards and specifications  
Standards for 
manufacturing  Peracetic acid:  
It shall be made of glacial acetic acid 
or its dilution   and hydrogen peroxide.  
Peracetic acid composition:  
It shall be a product manufactured by 
mixing 
1-hydroxyethylidene -1,1-diphosphonic 
acid with glacial acetic acid  or its 
dilution  or with glacial acetic acid  or 
its dilution  and hydrogen peroxide, or 
a product manufactured by adding 
octanoic acid to the  above 
mixture. Glacial acetic acid , hydrogen 
peroxide, 1-hydroxyethylidene -1,1-diphosphonic 
acid, and octanoic acid that are used 
as ingredients of peracetic acid 
composition shall meet the existing 
specifications.  Peracetic acid:  
It shall be made of acetic acid  and 
hydrogen peroxide.  
 
Peracetic acid composition:  
It shall be a product manufactured by 
mixing 
1-hydroxyethyl idene -1,1-diphosphonic 
acid with peracetic acid  or with acetic 
acid and hydrogen peroxide, or a 
product manufactured by adding 
octanoic acid to the above 
mixture. Acetic acid , hydrogen 
peroxide, 
1-hydroxyethylidene -1,1-diphosphonic 
acid, and octanoic acid that are used 
as ingredients of peracetic acid 
composition shall meet the existing 
specifications.  
specifications  Peracetic acid composition:  
Definition   Peracetic Acid 
Composition is an aqueous solution 
containing Peracetic Acid, “ Glacial 
Acetic Acid ,” “Hydrogen Peroxide,” 
and 
“1-Hydroxyethylidene -1,1-diphosphon
ic Acid” or an aqueous solution 
containing these four substances and 
“Octanoic Acid.” Peroctanoic acid may 
be produced from “Octanoic Acid” 
contained in “Peracetic Acid 
Composition.”  Peracetic aci d composition:  
Definition   Peracetic Acid 
Composition is an aqueous solution 
containing Peracetic Acid, “ Acetic 
Acid,” “Hydrogen Peroxide,” and 
“1-Hydroxyethylidene -1,1-diphosphon
ic Acid” or an aqueous solution 
containing these four substances and 
“Octano ic Acid.” Peroctanoic acid may 
be produced from “Octanoic Acid” 
contained in “Peracetic Acid 
Composition.”