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Incorporated Administrative Agency
Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center

Tentative Translation
Japanese Agricultural Standard for Easily Chewable and Swallowable Foods

Established: Notification No. 1568 of August 17, 2016.

(Scope)Article 1: Among easily chewable and swallowable foods, this standard applies to easy-to-chew foods, foods thatcan be chewed by the gums, foods that can be chewed by the tongue, and foods not requiring chewing.
(Terms and Definitions)
Article 2: In this standard, definition of the terms listed in the left column of the following table is provided in theright column of the table.
Terms
Definition
Easily Chewable andProcessed foods that can be chewed with less effort compared with ordinary
Swallowable Foods
foods due to their properties and qualities such as hardness (excluding babyfoods)
Easy-to-Chew Foods
Easily chewable and swallowable foods with such hardness that allows easy
biting, crushing, or grinding (limited to those having certain chewiness)
Foods that can be Chewed by Easily chewable and swallowable foods with moderate hardness between thethe Gums
easy-to-chew foods and the foods that can be chewed by the tongue
Foods that can be Chewed by Easily chewable and swallowable foods with hardness such that the food can be
the Tongue
chewed between the tongue and the palate
Foods Not Requiring
Easily chewable and swallowable foods with hardness that allows swallowing
Chewing
without chewing-1-

(The Standard for Easy-to-Chew Foods)
Article 3: The criteria of easy-to-chew foods are as follows:
Classification
CriteriaQuality
Properties of the
1. Suitable appearance and taste/flavor in general as foods served for humancontent duringconsumption.
eating2. Suitable adhesiveness and cohesiveness.
Hardness of the
1. Among the contents of the food, the hardest ingredient shall have hardness
content duringthat allows easy biting, crushing, or grinding (limited to those contents witheatingmoderate chewiness).
2. Information regarding compliance of the contents with the provision in 1
shall be provided to the general consumers by one of the following methods:(1) use of Internet for the public to view;(2) publications such as brochures and leaflets to easily attract general
consumers’ attention;(3) display in the store to easily attract general consumers’ attention;(4) notification to the general consumers upon request from them, clearly
indicating the contact address on the products.
In case of the products for business use (products other than those provided
in the form to sell to general consumers; the same applies hereinafter), theabove may be omitted.
Net contents
The net contents shall be consistent with the one indicated on the label.
Additives
1. Additives shall comply with the provisions of 3.2 of the General Standard
for Food Additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995, Rev. 7-2006), which wasstipulated by the Joint Food Standard Committee of the United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. Inaddition, the conditions for use of such additives shall comply with theprovisions of 3.3 of CODEX STAN 192.
2. The amounts of respective additives used shall be accurately recorded andthe record shall be kept.
3. Information regarding the compliance of the additives with the provision of
1 shall be provided to general consumers by one of the following methods:(1) use of Internet for the public to view;(2) publications such as brochures and leaflets to easily attract general
consumers’ attention;(3) display in the store to easily attract general consumers’ attention;(4) notification to the general consumers upon request from them, clearlyindicating the contact address on the products.
In case of the products for business use, the above may be omitted.
Conditions ofTightly sealed and good appearance.
container/package

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Food
labeling

Labeling
information

Labeling method

Presentation ofmandatory
information

In addition to the requirements of the Food Labeling Standards (CabinetOffice Ordinance No.10 of 2015), the following specific provisions apply:(1) easiness to chew;(2) cooking method (limited to foods that require cooking (excludingsimple heating)), if the foods are other than those listed in the uppercolumn of the Appended Table 19 of the Food Labeling Standards(limited to foods that include the cooking method or usage in themiddle column, labeling information);(3) in the case of the products for business use, net contents or drained
weight and total contents.
In addition to the requirements of the Food Labeling Standards, for themethods of labeling for easiness to chew, cooking method, and net contents
or drained weight and total contents, the following specific provisions apply:(1) easiness to chew:“easily chewable” shall be declared on the label;(2) cooking method:
the cooking method shall be declared according to the characteristicsof the food;(3) net contents or drained weight and total contents:
net contents or drained weight and total contents shall be declaredaccording to the labeling method prescribed in the lower column ofthe row, net contents or drained weight and total contents, in the Tableof paragraph 1 of Article 3 of the Food Labeling Standards; provided,
however, among the foods listed in the upper column of the appended
Table 4 of the Food Labeling Standards, in the case of foods that
include net contents in the middle column, labeling information, netcontents or drained weight and total contents shall be declaredaccording to the labeling method prescribed in the lower column ofthe same row.
In addition to the requirements of the Food Labeling Standards, the easinessto chew, the cooking method, the net contents or the drained weight and thetotal contents shall be declared on a part of the container or the package so as
to be easily seen (on a part of the container or the package so as to be easily
seen or in the invoice if the product is intended for business use).

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(The Standard for Foods that can be Chewed by the Gums)
Article 4: The criteria of foods that can be chewed by the gums are as follows:
Classification
Criteria
Quality
Properties of theSame as specified in the properties of the content during eating in thecontent during
preceding Article.
eatingHardness of the1. Among the contents of the food, the hardest ingredient shall have moderatecontents duringhardness between the easy-to-chew foods and foods that can be chewed byeatingthe tongue.
2. Same as specified in 2 for the hardness of the contents during eating in thepreceding Article.
Net contents
Same as specified in the net contents in the preceding Article.
Additives
Same as specified in additives in the preceding Article.
Conditions ofSame as specified in conditions of container/package in the preceding Article.
container/package
FoodLabelingSame as specified in labeling information in the preceding Article. However,labeling
informationin this case, the term “easily chewable” shall be deemed to be replaced with“chewable by the gums.”
Labeling method
Same as specified in labeling method in the preceding Article. However, in
this case, the term “easily chewable” shall be deemed to be replaced with“chewable by the gums.”
Presentation ofSame as specified in presentation of mandatory information in the precedingmandatory
Article. However, in this case, the term “easily chewable” shall be deemed toinformation
be replaced with “chewable by the gums.”(The Standard for Foods that can be Chewed by the Tongue)
Article 5: The criteria of foods that can be chewed by the tongue are as follows:
Classification
Criteria
Quality
Properties of the
1. Suitable appearance and taste/flavor in general as foods to serve for humancontent duringconsumption.
eating2. Suitable adhesiveness and cohesiveness.
3. No remarkable syneresis.
Hardness of the
1. Among the contents of the food, the hardest ingredient shall have hardness
contents during
such that it can be crushed between the tongue and the palate.
eating2. Same as specified in 2 for the hardness of the contents during eating inArticle 3.
Net contents
Same as specified in net contents in Article 3.
Additives
Same as specified in additives in Article 3.
Conditions ofSame as specified in conditions of container/package in Article 3.
container/package
Food
Labeling
Same as specified in labeling information in Article 3. However, in this case,labeling
information
the term “easily chewable” shall be deemed to be replaced with “chewableby the tongue.”
Labeling method
Same as specified in labeling method in Article 3. However, in this case, theterm “easily chewable” shall be deemed to be replaced with “chewable by thetongue.”Presentation ofSame as specified in the presentation of mandatory information in Article 3.
mandatory
However, in this case, the term “easily chewable” shall be deemed to be
information
replaced with “chewable by the tongue.”-4-

(The Standard for Foods Not Requiring Chewing)
Article 6: The criteria of foods not requiring chewing are as follows:
Classification
Criteria
Quality
Properties of the1. Suitable adhesiveness and cohesiveness.
contents during
2. No remarkable syneresis.
eatingHardness of the
1. Hardness that can be swallowed without chewing.
contents during
2. Same as specified in 2 for the hardness of the contents during eating ineatingArticle 3.
Net contents
Same as specified in net contents in Article 3.
Additives
Same as specified in additives in Article 3.
Conditions ofSame as specified in conditions of container/package in Article 3.
container/package
Food
Labeling
Same as specified in labeling information in Article 3. However, in this case,labeling
information
the term “easily chewable” shall be deemed to be replaced with “chewing notrequired.”Labeling method
Same as specified in labeling method in Article 3. However, in this case, theterm “easily chewable” shall be deemed to be replaced with “chewing notrequired.”Presentation ofSame as specified in the presentation of mandatory information in Article 3.
mandatory
However, in this case, the term “easily chewable” shall be deemed to be
information
replaced with “chewing not required.”(Schedule)
Notification No. 1568 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of August 17, 2016 comes into
effect as of September 16, 2016.

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