The Cabinet Office Food Safety Commission announced the holding of the 40th First Pesticides Expert Study Group on September 1, 2025, releasing the meeting overview and public observation application procedures.
Basic Meeting Information and Agenda
This expert study group will be held on Monday, September 1, 2025, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM (scheduled), at the Food Safety Commission Medium Conference Room (Akasaka Park Building 22nd Floor, 5-2-20 Akasaka, Minato-ku), operating in a hybrid format using web conference systems. The main agenda is "Food Health Impact Assessment of Pesticide (Sulfosulfuron)," with the safety evaluation of this pesticide being the central examination item.
Significance of Sulfosulfuron Evaluation
Sulfosulfuron is a pesticide used as a herbicide, and the Food Safety Commission's health impact assessment holds extremely important significance from the perspective of ensuring consumer food safety. This evaluation becomes the scientific basis for setting pesticide residue standards and registration renewals, providing fundamental data for appropriately managing pesticide residue risks from agricultural products to food. The expert study group conducts detailed scientific examination of toxicity test data, intake amount estimation, and risk assessment methodologies.
Participation Opportunities for Ensuring Transparency
The meeting accommodates both video streaming and venue observation, accepting applications through the Cabinet Office Common Opinion Registration System (https://form.cao.go.jp/shokuhin/opinion-1403.html) until 12:00 PM on Friday, August 29, 2025. Viewing URLs will be sent to video viewers by 12:00 PM on Monday, September 1, and venue observation will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, with notification to eligible observers by 6:00 PM on Friday, August 29.
Information Disclosure and Press Response
Distributed materials for the day are scheduled to be posted on the Food Safety Commission website (https://www.fsc.go.jp/fsciis/meetingMaterial/show/kai20250901no1) prior to the meeting, establishing a system for the general public to review materials in advance. Press representatives can also participate through the same application procedures, and camera filming and TV shooting at the opening are accommodated, ensuring transparency in the scientific evaluation process for food safety.
Position in Food Safety Administration
This expert study group serves as an important organization responsible for objective risk assessment based on scientific evidence in Japan's food safety administration. Pesticide health impact assessment comprehensively evaluates risks from pesticide use in the production stage to residue risks in the consumption stage, forming the core of the "field to fork" food safety management system. By providing sufficient notification period from the August 21 announcement to the September 1 meeting, appropriate participation opportunities for stakeholders and citizens are secured.
The article represents food safety administration efforts to conduct highly specialized scientific examination of pesticide food health impact assessment in a format emphasizing transparency and citizen participation, demonstrating the importance of science-based food safety assurance systems.