The food we choose to eat
Japan's 'food
paranoia' keeps
high-quality produce off the menu
By DUCO DELGORGE
The food we choose is based on our
preferences, cultures and values. Human behavior has evolved over the
years and people's choices have become increasingly complex, varying by
period in life, by season, by day and by time. A person can purchase a
mass-market snack on impulse at one moment, and a few hours later be
pondering over the choice of a meal in an exclusive restaurant. Although
the product and the decision-making that leads to the consumption may be
quite different, the underlying principles remain largely the same.
Generally speaking, people have become increasingly demanding in terms of
taste, quality, health impact, safety and value.
On a more prosaic level, the food we
choose is also based on availability. In this respect, the availability of
European food in Japan is considerably less than what it should be. There
are many reasons for this and it is the role of the EBC
(European Business Council in Japan) to identify the issues involved and
help overcome them so that more people living in Japan can access a
broader selection of high-quality European foods.
The main issue concerning the EBC
regarding food include additives, food safety, beef, organic products and
import duty rates. In December 2002, the Japanese government identified 46
priority food additives for approval based on their wide use in Europe and
the U.S., as well as their safety according to official internationally
recognized bodies. However, more than four years later, only seven out of
these 46 additives have been approved. Consequently, many top-quality and
perfectly safe European foods are not available in Japan. At the same
time, many Japanese foods contain different additives that are not
approved in Europe.
The European Union can be proud of
its standards of safety and has put in place a comprehensive program
"from the farm to the fork" to reassure consumers about the
safety of their food. Due to successive food scandals in Japan over recent
years, including some very high-profile ones, Japan has achieved the
unenviable status of "food paranoia," where common sense has
given way to panicky and wasteful knee-jerk reactions. This can, and often
does, mean that minor aberrations, with absolutely no associated health or
safety risks, result in expensive public apologies and product recalls.
Perfectly good food is unnecessarily disposed of and the supplier is left
with a huge bill to pay. An increasing number of food suppliers, not only
foreign but also Japanese, are highly concerned with this situation, with
some now describing their food market as a "high-risk, low-return
market."
The EBC urges the government of Japan
to establish new guidelines to better manage food in the marketplace. A
more meaningful and effective approach is required in this day when
environmental issues are also of such great concern to all of us. One idea
is that for any infringement discovered, regardless of the source,
discussions should take place first between the supplier and the local
health authority. Such discussions should be based on a global approach,
including an evaluation of health, safety, environmental and other
relevant aspects. Where clearly no health or safety risk is involved, an
official safety certificate from the local health authority stating this
could be used to prevent wasteful, unnecessary recalls.
Regarding beef, the EBC is
disappointed that although U.S. beef imports have been allowed to be
resumed, European beef, with arguably some of the best safety records and
trace- ability systems in the world, remains a subject to be discussed at
some point in the future.
Organic food is another area of
interest for the EBC. Japan has one of the smallest organic food markets
in the world, particularly when measured on a per capita basis. This seems
to be directly linked to a lack of availability and awareness. One major
hindrance in this respect is an overly cumbersome and expensive organic
certification process that results in many suppliers, importers,
wholesalers and retailers opting out of, or delaying, the certification
process or even opting out of the market altogether.
Import duties are perhaps one of the
most visible and commonly cited issues between trading partners. Japan
offers some special cases. For example, 25 percent for confectionery
products and 21.3 percent for tomato ketchup seem excessive. Even
chocolate, much loved by Japanese, suffers an unusual fate. Chocolate
imported in retail packs has an acceptable import duty of 10 percent. On
the other hand, the very same chocolate, if imported in larger packs to be
used by Japanese professionals, is subject to a much higher import duty of
29.8 percent. This anomaly works against Japan's interests as it results
in thousands of Japanese professionals, committed to using premium
European chocolate in their recipes, being forced to pay much higher
prices than necessary to produce their final creations.
Clearly, many challenges remain in
expanding the availability of European food in Japan. The EBC will
continue to collaborate with the EU Delegation in Japan and the government
of Japan to achieve what it believes to be universally beneficial goals,
including offering people in Japan a greater choice of high-quality
European food.
© Duco Delgorge 2007 All
rights reserved
Editor's note: Duco Delgorge is chairman of
the Food Committee
of the EBC (European Business
Council) in Japan.
This page last updated 2008-06-16
Eyes on Japan compiled and edited by
David Appleyard, 2001-2008 |
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