JCCU received a "letter of appreciation" from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) at the "2018 Food Sanitation Contributor and Excellent Food Sanitation Facility Commendation ceremony” held on October 25, 2018.

The ceremony is organized by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Japan Food Hygiene Association every year. In commemoration of 70th anniversary of the Food Sanitation Act enforcement, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare offered letters of appreciation to individuals and organizations that successfully advanced in food sanitation related projects, and JCCU was among the 50 organizations chosen to receive.

Opening greetings by Mr. NEMOTO Takumi, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare

Commemorative photograph: (R) WADA Toshiaki, Managing Director, JCCU, holding the letter of appreciation and (L) ONITAKE Kazuo, Quality Assurance Department., JCCU

JCCU has made efforts to disseminate information about Food Sanitation Act by providing information on the Act and offering opportunities for learning sessions along with co-op business federations, member co-ops, co-op members, and consumers nationwide.

Regarding the amendment of the Food Sanitation Act (1995, 2003 and 2018), JCCU submitted opinions from the standpoint of consumers and food business operators, and contributed to a better system reform.

Also in 2006, upon the introduction of the positive list system of agricultural chemicals, JCCU published the actual residual data on domestic and imported foods and also disseminated the purpose and significance of the system through organizing learning sessions with agricultural producers and food-related business operators, and ultimately provided information to stakeholders for the enforcement of the system.

The award was in appreciation of JCCU’s efforts to improve food safety through such long-standing initiatives.