Health Food Information Disclosure Standard 2026
JHFC-A-001 Enacted: 1 September 2026 / Effective: 1 September 2026
Japan Certified Health Food Council (JHFC) — English translation of the standard. In case of discrepancy the Japanese text prevails. Japanese original
Japan Certified Health Food Council (JHFC)
Enacted: 1 September 2026 / Effective: 1 September 2026
Preamble (Purpose of Enactment)
In the health food sector, trust hinges more on the extent to which quality-related information is disclosed and consumers can verify it for themselves than on product quality itself. While advertising claims are becoming more diverse, the number of business operators that disclose the evidence supporting such claims in a form that third parties can verify remains limited. The Council establishes this Standard as a common benchmark for evaluating the information disclosure practices of business operators. This Standard evaluates the level of information disclosure; it does not evaluate the effects or efficacy of products.
Article 1 (Purpose)
The purpose of this Standard is to establish evaluation items and classifications for determining the level of conformity of quality-related information disclosure by health food sellers and brand operators (hereinafter referred to as "business operators"), based on the fundamental principle that consumers shall be able to verify such information independently.
Article 2 (Scope)
This Standard applies to the disclosure of information concerning health foods (including nutritional supplements and dietary supplements) manufactured or sold in Japan. For labeling under statutory schemes, such as Foods for Specified Health Uses and Foods with Function Claims, the requirements of the relevant scheme shall take precedence, and this Standard shall supplement those requirements.
Article 3 (Terms and Definitions)
- 1. Verifiability: A state in which consumers can confirm disclosed information through public databases or inquiries to issuing bodies without going through the business operator.
- 2. Public database: A publicly accessible information source operated by a third party and searchable free of charge, such as the National Tax Agency Corporate Number Publication Site, the Japan Platform for Patent Information (J-PlatPat), the Consumer Affairs Agency database of notifications for Foods with Function Claims, or the directory of certified factories maintained by the Japan Health and Nutrition Food Association, a public interest incorporated foundation.
- 3. Third-party testing body: A testing body independent of the business operator (such as a registered testing body or a public testing organization).
Article 4 (Five Criteria for Information Disclosure)
The information disclosure practices of business operators shall be evaluated against the following five criteria.
Criterion One: Disclosure of Operator Identification Information
The official name, corporate number, registered head office address, and year of establishment of the operating legal entity shall be disclosed. The relationship between the brand name and the operating entity shall be clearly indicated and shall be verifiable on the National Tax Agency publication site using the corporate number. Expressions that give an impression inconsistent with the facts concerning the year of establishment or organizational history shall not be used.
Criterion Two: Disclosure of Manufacturing Management Information
For manufacturing management certifications (such as GMP certification) held by the contract manufacturer, the certifying body, type of certification, and certification category shall be disclosed. Statements such as "manufactured in a GMP-certified factory" shall clearly distinguish whether the certified entity is the factory or the business operator. Even where details such as the factory name, certification number, and geographical location are withheld from public disclosure for commercial reasons, a system shall be in place to disclose those details upon inquiry.
Criterion Three: Disclosure of Third-Party Testing Information
Where test results concerning component content or safety are presented, the official name of the testing body, the test method, the material tested (raw material or finished product), and the relationship to the relevant lot shall be disclosed. The contact point for inquiries concerning test results shall be clearly indicated. Promotional claims shall not rely solely on general statements such as "tested."
Criterion Four: Proper Labeling of Component Content
The content of functional components or principal components shall be stated as a numerical value per recommended daily intake. Labeling shall not emphasize only the total content in the entire container or cause confusion between purity and the amount incorporated into the formulation.
Criterion Five: Disclosure of Intellectual Property and Regulatory Registration Information
Where registrations or notifications under relevant systems, such as trademarks, patents, or notifications for Foods with Function Claims, are used in promotional claims, the registration or notification number shall be disclosed, and the relationship between the rights holder or notifying party and the business operator shall be accurately described. Expressions that create the misconception that another party's rights or registrations belong to the business operator shall not be used.
Article 5 (Evaluation Classifications)
- Conformity: All five criteria are met.
- Partial conformity: At least three criteria are met, and an improvement plan for the remaining items has been made public.
- Nonconformity: Two or fewer criteria are met, or disclosed information is found to contain statements inconsistent with the facts.
Article 6 (Implementation)
- 1. Business operators may conduct a self-assessment of their conformity with this Standard and declare the results through their own information disclosure media (self-declaration of conformity).
- 2. The Council may, upon application by a business operator, review the disclosed information and confirm the operator's conformity status.
- 3. This Standard shall, in principle, be reviewed annually, taking into account market conditions and revisions to relevant regulatory systems.
Supplementary Provisions
This Standard shall take effect on 1 September 2026. Inquiries concerning the application and interpretation of this Standard shall be accepted through the Council's public contact point.
※ This Standard sets out evaluation criteria for information disclosure practices and does not guarantee the effects, efficacy, or safety of individual products.