Regulation of food-related carcinogens in Japan

Use of hazardous environmental substances in Japan is regulated, based on their risk assessment, by laws of various ministries, depending upon the chemicals concerned. Food additives and food contaminants are controlled by the Food Sanitation Law of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. When manufacture or import of new food additives is intended, their physicochemical and biological data are evaluated by the Food Sanitation Investigation Council. When new data become available on the carcinogenicity of food additives that have been approved and are in use, these compounds are reevaluated. Between 1974 and 1986, twelve chemicals were proved to be carcinogenic in Japan by task groups for evaluation of the carcinogenicity of food additives, medical drugs and pesticides, which were organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Of these compounds, 2-(2-furyl)-3-(5-nitro-2-furyl)acrylamide was banned from use, but use of hydrogen peroxide and potassium bromate was permitted, provided that these compounds were decomposed or removed from the final products. The use of butylated hydroxyanisole within fixed limits in some foodstuffs was also permitted. Decisions on the use of these compounds were based on the prevailing opinion on carcinogens at the time. This paper reports these facts with a consideration of future problems on the regulation of food carcinogens.