Japan to Update Use Standards for Sulfites and Revise Target Food Category for Zinc Gluconate

The Government of Japan has announced a proposed revision to the Specifications and Standards for Foods, Food Additives, Etc. under the Food Sanitation Act (Act No. 233 of 1947). The revision concerns the use standards for five sulfite-related food additives—Potassium Metabisulfite, Sodium Hydrosulfite, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Sulfite, and Sulfur Dioxide—as well as a nomenclature update for the permitted use of Zinc Gluconate.

Under Japan’s regulatory framework, food additives must be designated by the Prime Minister pursuant to Article 12 of the Food Sanitation Act, and must comply with the specifications and standards established under Article 13. Additives that do not meet these requirements are prohibited from sale.

The proposed amendment reflects changes in the use amounts of sulfites in certain foods and clarifies how these additives are treated when foods containing them are used as ingredients in other foods. Specifically, sulfites present in listed intermediary foods—such as dried fruits (excluding raisins), candied beans, fruit wines, grape juice–based non-alcoholic beverages, gelatin, and starch syrups—will be considered as used in the final food products, except for the foods explicitly listed as exclusions.

In addition, new quantitative limits are proposed for sulfites when used in specific non-alcoholic beverages derived from dealcoholized grape wine or products containing added grape juice. Each sulfite substance, or their combined total, must not remain at levels exceeding 0.35 g/kg expressed as sulfur dioxide in these products.

For Zinc Gluconate, the revision updates the description of permitted target foods. The current category, “Foods for the ill” classified as foods for special dietary uses, will be replaced with the broader category of comprehensive nutrition food products, thereby clarifying its regulatory scope.

The Committee on Food Additives under the Food Safety Standards Council deliberated on these revisions on 18 November 2025 and concluded that amending the use standards is appropriate. The draft amendments are now positioned as part of Japan’s ongoing efforts to align food additive regulations with current usage practices while maintaining food safety and regulatory clarity.