The proposed PFAS regulations for mineral water from Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency would set the combined limit for PFOS and PFOA at 50 ng/L, which would be the same as the standards for tap water.

Japan’s Consumer Affair Agency (CAA) requested public feedback on an Amendment to the Food and Additive Standards Concerning Soft Drinks (PFOS and PFOA) on February 26, 2025. Opinions are solicited from stakeholders during the consultation phase, which runs through March 27, 2025.

The updated soft drink guidelines include a new rule about the amount of PFOS and PFOA that can be present in “mineral water products that are sterilized or disinfected.” The combined limit for these drugs is 0.00005 milligrams per liter.

At a meeting of the Food limits Subcommittee on February 10, 2025, Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) proposed to set limits for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in mineral water, particularly for sterilized or disinfected types.

This idea comes after PFOS and PFOA were recently added to the Drinking Water Quality Standards by the Ministry of the Environment. The total limit for these two chemicals in mineral water is set by the CAA at 50 ng/L, which is the same as the norm for tap water. It is anticipated that the draft standards will be formally adopted.

Drinking Water Quality

March 2020:

The combined value of PFOS and PFOA was set at 50 ng/L by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) as a temporary target value for water quality management.

February 2025:

Without altering the regulated substances or the designated limitations, the Subcommittee on Water Quality and Sanitation of the Central Environmental Council approved a request to raise the present PFOS and PFOA water quality management target from a management target to a regulatory standard.

Mineral Water Specification

Mineral water is frequently used as a substitute for tap water, and comparable water quality regulations must be followed to protect human health.

The suggested combined limit for PFOS and PFOA in sterilized and disinfected mineral water is 50 ng/L, which is in line with tap water. With a maximum exposure from water of 10% of the TDI, this limit is based on the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) method, which takes into account an average person weighing 50 kg consuming 2L of water per day.

The criteria for non-sterilized and non-disinfected mineral waters, on the other hand, are different from those for sterilized ones since they are subject to more stringent regulation starting with the raw water collecting phase. The Codex Standard for Natural Mineral Waters must be followed by these mineral waters, albeit they are not always expected to meet the same requirements as tap water.

International Status for PFAS in Drinking Water

Currently, the Codex Standard for Natural Mineral Waters does not set limits for PFOS and PFOA, and the EU similarly exempts these substances from its natural mineral water regulations.

Summary

By establishing quality criteria for dangerous chemicals like PFOS and PFOA in mineral water, the modification seeks to improve consumer health protection. Untreated mineral water, on the other hand, will be subject to more stringent regulations and will still adhere to Codex requirements.

Furthermore, the suggested recommendations will probably be formally verified at the next Food Sanitation Standards Council, when a final decision on these revisions is anticipated.

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