Japanese Health Foods Market Information

TOKUHO, Food for Specified Health Use (FOSHU)

TOKUHO, Foods for Specified Health Use (FOSHU) are the foods approved by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare(*) to be allowed to indicate the formal FOSHU logo and claims on the product label for specified dietary uses as effective to help promote consumer’s health. It requires detailed review process with safety and scientific evidence of efficacy for each application, and is designed to be effective for the health maintenance and promotion by incorporating certain active ingredient(s) into food products.

(*)Management of Food Labeling including FOSHU program has been transferred to Consumer Affairs Agency, Government of Japan since September 1, 2009.

Fibersol®-2 (Indigestible dextrin as dietary fiber) has been formulated into 277 products as the effective active ingredient for the following efficacies:

1. Improves intestinal regularity
2. Moderation of postprandial blood glucose levels
3. Moderation of postprandial blood triglyceride levels

FOSHU mark

Fibersol®-2 has also been approved as one of the “Standardized FOSHU” ingredients for

1) Intestinal regularity with 3-8g as dietary fiber, and
2) Blood glucose level with 4-6g.

Foods for Specified Health Use – 955 products(as of April 1, 2011)

Health Uses Number of Items Active Ingredients (Example)

Intestinal Regularity / GI Function

 351

Dietary Fibers

Indigestible dextrin (Fibersol®-2) [144 items]
Indigestible dextrin, hydrogenated (Fibersol®-2H) [1]
Indigestible dextrin + Wheat Bran [1]
Psyllium
Hydrolyzed guar gum
Wheat bran

Oligosaccharides
Lactic acid bacteria

Blood Glucose Level

 140

Indigestible dextrin (Fibersol®-2) [130 items]
Wheat albumin
L-Arabinose

Triglyceride / Body Fat

 69

Coffee bean manno-oligosaccharide
Globin hydrolysate (VVYP)
Tea catechin

Triglyceride + Blood Glucose

 1

Indigestible dextrin (Fibersol®-2) [1 item]

Blood Pressure

 120

Sardine peptide
Lacto-tri-peptide
g-aminobutylic Acid (GABA)
Oligo-peptides
Tochucha herb tea glycoside

Cholesterol Level

 116

Chitosan
Soy protein
CSPHP (Soybean-protein hydrolysate with bound phospholipids)

Cholesterol + GI Function

 26

Psyllium
Depolymerized sodium alginate

Teeth

 79

CPP-ACP (Casein phpsphopeptide -amorphous calcium phosphate compound)
Mixture of xylitol, maltitol, calcium hydrogen phosphate & gloiopeltis furcata (seaweed) extract

Bone

 44

Soy isoflavone
Oligosaccharides
MBP (milk basic protein)

Mineral Absorption (Ca/ Fe)

 6

Casein phosphopeptide
Heme Fe
Calcium citrate malate

Mineral Absorption (Ca) + GI Function

 3

Lacto-fructo-oligosaccharide/ Fructo-oligosaccharide

FOSHU Food Category (Example)

Water/ Soft Drink/ Powdered Drink/ Coffee Drink/ Tea Drink/ Milk Drink/ Lactic Acid Drink/ Powdered Soup/ Soup/ Jelly-type Drink/ Jelly/ Drink-type Yogurt/ Table Sugar/ Candy/ Chocolate/ Chewing gum/ Supplement (powder, tablet)/ Cookie/ Bread/ Cake/ Cereal/ Noodle/ Steamed Rice/ Rice Porridge/ Pudding/ Frozen Yogurt/ Vinegar/ Dressing/ Cooking oil/ Tofu / Sausage (meat, fish)

Reference

http://www.caa.go.jp/foods/index4.html