JAPAN - THE DEMAND FOR RICE FLOUR IS INCREASING
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has updated the report on rice flour whose
demand as the main food is decreasing year by year. It is a product traditionally used for desserts
and crackers, but it is also beginning to be included in the preparation of bread and pasta (therefore
like normal flour) thanks to the new technologies.
In 2017, the “Standard for the use of rice flour” and the “Guidelines for the disclosure of products
with rice flour” were published and relevant demand and production have recently increased.
Thanks to the “Third party certification system”, if the product complies with strict standards (it
contains 1 ppm or less of gluten, for example), the use of the “Non-gluten” claim is authorized.
Currently, the demand for gluten-free products for people suffering from intolerances or suffering
from coeliac disease is increasing worldwide, so the Ministry plans to increase the spread of rice
flour not only in Japan but also abroad and to support entrepreneurs willing to develop new
products or find new foreign markets.
Source: website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries