由 lltx1822 Regulatory Requirements of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Transportation Strategies for Shipping Pet Food to Japan
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) in Japan strictly controls the import of pet food. All products must be declared in advance to the Animal Quarantine Service and provide documents such as ingredient lists, nutritional analysis reports, manufacturing factory hygiene licenses, and certificates of origin. For products with meat or fish ingredients, it is necessary to prove that the raw materials come from countries or regions recognized by MAFF and are free from specific diseases.
Packaging materials must comply with Japanese food hygiene laws and adopt designs to prevent leakage, moisture, and odor. Labels must be in Japanese, detailing product names, ingredients, feeding methods, net content, shelf life, country of origin, and manufacturer information. If additives or functional ingredients are included, their names and purposes of use must be indicated.
For transportation, air freight (2 – 3 days) is suitable for high – value – added or short – shelf – life products, while sea freight (7 – 10 days) is suitable for large – volume transportation. Pay attention to mold prevention during summer sea freight, and desiccants can be placed inside the packaging. During customs clearance, MAFF and the customs will conduct joint inspections, focusing on verifying label compliance and product safety. It is recommended to entrust local Japanese customs brokers to assist in handling documents.