Comparative Study of Functional Food Regulations in Japan and Globally

Since its inception in Japan, functional food has continued to deliver a true added value to a wide spectrum of customers, especially in aging subpopulations. Japanese companies have strong "R&D" capabilities and strong know-how in the field of functional foods. They have the opportunity to grow overseas by promoting and marketing their products. The main challenge is to understand the foreign markets and their regulations to be able to promote Japanese products overseas. To achieve this goal, the study reports a scientific review of the relevant literature and official legislative reports published by the authorized entities in several countries to create a comparison between the rules and regulations in different countries such as China, the European Union, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States. The study results provide suggestions for entry strategies to recommended foreign markets based on regulatory situations. The study also provides a comparison for the different functional food regulations in Japan (FOSHU, FNFC, FFC), along with an introduction for the new local government certification system.