Japan introduces PFOS and PFOA limits for mineral water

Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency introduced new safety limits for PFOS and PFOA in sterilised and filtered mineral water, aligning the country's standards with international efforts to reduce these persistent pollutants in consumer products.

The change followed a February 2025 notification to the World Trade Organization of Japan's plans to update water quality standards under the Food Sanitation Act, backed by a risk assessment from the Food Safety Commission of Japan that highlighted potential health risks from PFAS exposure through drinking water.

The new thresholds set a maximum PFOS limit of 0.00005mg/L, while PFOA is regulated for the first time, matching international benchmarks.

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A 60-day public consultation on the proposed limits closed on 27 April 2025, and the standards took effect on 1 April 2026.

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Industry compliance requirements

Water producers and distributors operating in the Japanese market were required to enhance testing procedures to detect PFAS at the new limits, update quality assurance and labelling practices, and strengthen supply chain oversight to avoid contamination.