Updates to the Japanese Positive List Proposed

New draft Tables 1 and 2 of the Japanese Positive List have been posted on Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) website. The updates are based on requests submitted by interested parties between April 26 and July 15 of 2022, to add new substances to Table 2 (List of Additives), and to confirm the inclusion of some substances that were on the “pending” list.  

A document, dated March 6, 2023, explains the revisions made to the Positive List. The use level limits for several substances were lowered and there are changes to Table 1 for certain optional substances used in specific polymer classes. For background information on Japan’s Positive List, see the Packaginglaw.com article, A Move to Mandatory: Japan Finalizes its Positive List for “Synthetic Resins.