Japan to Allow Production, Sales of Liquid Milk for Babies

August 8, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese health minister Katsunobu Kato said Tuesday that his ministry will enforce on Wednesday a revised ordinance designed to permit the production and sales of liquid milk for babies.

The revised ministry ordinance will newly include standards for liquid milk, which has not been produced or sold in Japan so far. There are standards for powdered milk.

Given that liquid milk is useful in times of disaster since it can be kept at room temperatures and babies can drink it directly from a package, the Japan Dairy Industry Association has been calling on the ministry to draw up standards for it.

The ordinance sets standards on ingredients, and the methods of production, packaging and preservation of liquid milk, stipulating, among others, that such milk needs to be sterilized at 120 degrees Celsius for four minutes.

Actual production and sales of liquid milk will require permission from the ministry and the Consumer Affairs Agency's labeling-related approval. According to the dairy association, it will take more than a year for liquid milk to be put on sale. Jiji Press