Aseptically Filled Tofu (Microorganisms and Viruses): Summary

Aseptically filled Tofu was necessary to be refrigerated under the previous standards for tofu. Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSCJ) was requested by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) to assess a food safety risk to human health on changing the standards to ambient temperature storage. Clostridium botulinum and Bacillus cereus can be significant hazards. Assuming that manufacturing procedures including sterilizing processes follow the MHLW-indicated condition, under a full hygienic control, C. botulinum and B. cereus would not exist in the final products. Therefore, FSCJ concludes that there are no substantial risks of human health irrespective of the change in the storage standard for aseptically filled Tofu.