Japan enforces stricter labeling rules for soybean milk beverages to cut fraudulent claims and ensure fair trade

Soybean milk is a very popular beverage in Japan due to the presence of a large lactose intolerant population --with some researchers estimating this to be as high as 90% --as well as the gradual rise in demand for plant-based beverage options. According to GlobalData, the soy milk and drinks market in Japan was valued at over JPY160bn (US $ 1.4bn) as of 2020, and domestic soy milk production is well above 400 million litres yearly. Competition is fierce as there are many soy milk manufacturers in the market, and public concerns have been on the rise in recent years regarding exaggerated or fraudulent claims being made on product labels. In response to this issue, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) and Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) recently issued stricter labeling rules for soy milks and beverages, covering both liquid and powdered forms of these. “These new labelling rules will be enforced under the Fair Competition Code to prevent unreasonable marketing to and attraction of ...