CAA 栄養成分表示 (別記様式3): Japan nutrition label

Nutrition labelling requirements in Japan

Packaged food sold in Japan must carry a nutrition declaration under Food Labelling Act 2015 (Annex 別記様式2 / 別記様式3). This page covers the Japan - CAA 栄養成分表示 (別記様式3) format: Format 3 expanded per-100g form with fat + carb breakdowns, two columns. A compliant Japan nutrition label declares 5 mandatory nutrients: 熱量, たんぱく質, 脂質, 炭水化物 and 食塩相当量. Values are declared per serving as sold, with energy in kcal, and salt-equivalent rather than salt. The panel is headed "栄養成分表示". Japanese is required on pack. There is no mandatory front-of-pack warning scheme. NutritionFactLabel builds a print-ready Japan nutrition label from your recipe, applying the rounding rules and reference intakes for Japan automatically, and exports it as PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG or EPS.

Official regulation

Key facts

Japan's expanded nutrition label format (Appended Form 3)

Japan's nutrition labelling rules are in the Food Labeling Standards (Cabinet Office Ordinance No. 10 of 2015), in force and administered by the Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA). Nutrition information is mandatory on prepackaged processed foods for general consumers, apart from the exemptions in the Standards.

The basic label (Appended Form 2) lists only the five mandatory items. When a business adds other nutrients, the expanded layout in Appended Form 3 applies, or an equally clear grouped presentation permitted by the Standards and CAA guidance.

The order in Appended Form 3 is mandatory: energy, protein, fat with its sub-components, carbohydrate with its sub-components, salt equivalent, then any other nutrients covered by the Standards. The order cannot be rearranged to copy a foreign Nutrition Facts design.

Source: Food Labeling Standards, Appended Forms, CAA.

Mandatory, recommended and voluntary nutrients

Japan sorts nutrients into three groups:

• mandatory: energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, and sodium expressed as salt equivalent (食塩相当量);
• recommended: saturated fat and dietary fiber, which businesses are encouraged to show but which are not part of the mandatory five; and
• voluntary: other listed nutrients, such as n-3 and n-6 fatty acids, cholesterol, available carbohydrate (糖質), sugars (糖類) and listed vitamins and minerals.

One linked rule is mandatory: if available carbohydrate or dietary fiber is declared, both must be declared, as components of carbohydrate. Nutrients that are not declared are simply left out of the expanded format.

The "recommended" category is a distinctive feature of Japan's system; the EU and US do not have an equivalent middle tier.

Source: Food Labeling Standards, Articles 3, 6 and 7 and Appended Form 3, and CAA, Nutrition labelling.

Per 100 g, per serving and salt equivalent

The basis of the values must be stated, which is mandatory. It may be per 100 g, per 100 ml, per serving, per package or another single unit allowed by Appended Form 3. When per serving is used, the amount of one serving must also be given.

Sodium is declared as salt equivalent, which is mandatory, not as sodium alone. Salt equivalent is sodium multiplied by the conversion set in the Standards.

For foods with no added sodium salts, sodium may also be shown voluntarily, followed by the salt equivalent. A foreign-style sodium-only line does not meet the rule.

Source: Food Labeling Standards, Appended Form 3.

Imported foods and the expanded format

Imported foods sold in Japan must meet the Food Labeling Standards, and all mandatory information must be in Japanese. A nutrition panel only in the exporting country's language does not comply.

A business in Japan, usually the importer, is responsible for the Japanese label. If an imported product shows only the five mandatory items, the basic Appended Form 2 layout is enough; if it adds saturated fat, fiber, cholesterol, sugars or other nutrients, those must follow Appended Form 3 or an equally clear grouped presentation.

A US or EU nutrition panel therefore has to be rebuilt, not just translated: different order, salt equivalent instead of sodium, and Japanese terms throughout.

Source: CAA, Nutrition labelling for businesses, and CAA, Food Labeling Act and Standards.

Sources

Primary documents this page was written from, checked 2026-10-04.

• Consumer Affairs Agency, Food Labeling Act and Food Labeling Standards
• Food Labeling Standards, Appended Forms
• Consumer Affairs Agency, Nutrition labelling
• Consumer Affairs Agency, Nutrition labelling for businesses

How NutritionFactLabel handles it

• Applies the correct rounding rules for every nutrient
• Uses the right Daily Value / Reference Intake table for this jurisdiction
• Renders the required front-of-pack warnings automatically when thresholds are hit
• Handles multilingual labels where required (bilingual EN/FR, EN/ES, Arabic + EN, etc.)
• Exports print-ready vector PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG, and EPS

Common questions

Related formats

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