The government is expected to lift a de facto ban on the production and sale of liquid baby formula — possibly in the summer — following the health ministry's unveiling Monday of draft safety rules governing the product.
While liquid formula is widely used abroad for its convenience, its production and sale are not allowed in Japan due to the absence of government safety standards. Powder formula, which needs to be dissolved in hot water, is commonly used instead.
Use of formula donated by Finland as emergency aid during the 2016 Kumamoto Prefecture earthquakes prompted the ministry to begin studying ways to set standards for domestic production of the liquid form. Its merits were made apparent in the aftermath of the disaster as its use was not dependent on the availability of clean water.