摘要：The authors reviewed the trnasition of coloring matter regulations in Japan. In the latter half of the 19th century synthetic coloring matters began to be used for coloring food both Western countries and Japan. Coloring matter regulations started to be enforced in these countries at around the same time. In 1900 the Regulations for the Control of Harmful Coloring Matters were enacted in Japan. They listed harmful coloring not to be used for coloring food. The official seal system for synthetic coloring commenced in 1941. Containers of synthetic coloring products which had passed the inspections conducted at the National Hygiene Laboratory were sealed with the official certificate seals. Since the above-mentioned regulations prohibited the use of the harmful coloring matters listed, the government did not have a legal basis to forbid the use of other harmful coloring maters until the enactment of the Food Sanitation Law in 1947.
