Did the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare state on its website that it will provide subsidies to companies that use additives? No, that's not true: The ministry offers benefits that depend on meeting specific criteria, such as maintaining employment levels and enhancing workplace conditions for employees. Matters concerning food additives fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. However, this ministry does not provide subsidies to companies for using additives. Rather, it focuses on supporting initiatives such as the development of alternatives to regulated food additives, like sweeteners, which are common overseas. This support includes evaluating substitutes and aiding in the development of products utilizing these alternatives.
The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok on February 13, 2024. The video's text overlay (translated from Japanese to English by Lead Stories staff) said:
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Subsidies will be provided to companies that use additives.
This is what the video looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Mon Feb 19 02:07:03 2024 UTC)
The Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare provides subsidies (archived here) related to employment maintenance, fixed-term transfer support, re-employment support, job change/re-employment expansion support, employment and improvement of the employment environment, work-family balance support, human resource development, etc. This is a system that provides benefits when certain requirements are met. The ministry does not provide subsidies to companies that promote certain products such as additives.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (archived here) has issued a call for applications for a project aimed at promoting the adoption of internationally recognized additives within the Food Industry Issues Demonstration Project. Its support focuses on fostering the development of alternative additives, distinct from providing subsidies to companies utilizing additives.
To facilitate the export of processed foods, Japan must adhere to the regulations of the destination country concerning raw materials, food additives, containers and packaging. For instance, certain additives like coloring agents and sweeteners that are deemed permissible in Japan might not meet the approval standards overseas. This initiative is dedicated to streamlining international regulations governing these aspects. It also addresses the increasingly stringent global regulations on partially hydrogenated oils, trans fatty acids and other pressing concerns.
