"Make and Sell Within 2 Hours" Okinawa Tofu in Japan Faces Survival Crisis

"Foods Below 55°C Must Be Sold Within 2 Hours"
Okinawa Residents and Restaurants Protest...Will Exceptions Be Granted?

Okinawa traditional tofu is facing an existential crisis due to the Japanese government's tightening of food regulation laws, sparking controversy. The government has drastically reduced the allowable consumption time for products below 55 degrees Celsius from the previous 3 hours to within 2 hours, making it impossible to supply to restaurants and supermarkets. As the number of distributors has already decreased and food waste rates have increased, Okinawa residents are protesting, claiming that the Japanese government is destroying traditional culture.

According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 28th, the Japanese government is expanding the application of the revised Food Sanitation Act based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) standards to small-scale businesses starting this year. The regulation, which was implemented from June last year, has been further strengthened this year. Previously, hot foods that cooled down to below 55 degrees Celsius had to be consumed within 3 hours, but under the revised law, they must be consumed within 2 hours. This shortens the shelf life even more. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare explained the reason for tightening the regulations, stating, "Since tofu is sold warm, there is a possibility of pathogenic microorganisms remaining and bacteria multiplying. Therefore, maintaining the appropriate temperature is very important."

The problem is that the production and distribution process of Okinawa traditional tofu violates these regulations. Okinawa traditional tofu, called 'Achikoko Tofu,' derives its name from the Okinawan dialect word for hot (Atsui) tofu. It is said to have inherited the manufacturing method from the Ryukyu Kingdom, the predecessor of Okinawa, and is characterized by being firmer and having a richer taste than regular tofu. This traditional tofu is sold hot without being refrigerated in water after production; it is placed in plastic bags without sealing the opening. In Okinawan supermarkets and marts, traditional tofu is basically sold at room temperature.

However, according to the Food Sanitation Act enforced from this year, heated products must be kept at temperatures above 55 degrees Celsius at the time of delivery, and if the temperature drops below 55 degrees Celsius after display, they can only be sold within 2 hours.

With the law uniformly applied even to small-scale tofu producers, the industry has been hit hard by the regulations. According to the Okinawa regional newspaper Ryukyu Shimpo, in areas far from factories, tofu temperatures dropped below 55 degrees Celsius during delivery, resulting in products being returned to the factory without being delivered. Additionally, the waste rate has increased. Since products can only be displayed for 2 hours, there has been a noticeable rise in products being discarded before customers even visit the marts.

Most companies are small-scale, making it difficult to devise countermeasures. Installing devices to maintain temperature during delivery or producing insulation materials would incur additional costs, likely forcing tofu prices to rise if development is pursued. Moreover, with high inflation causing soybean prices to increase, the industry finds itself in a difficult situation with no easy solutions.

According to Asahi, since the law's enforcement, sales at a tofu factory in Okinawa have dropped by 30%, and the waste rate has risen from 5% to 10%. A tofu factory official told Asahi, "Because the shelf life has become shorter, many distributors have stopped handling traditional tofu altogether," adding, "Some factories have ceased production entirely due to decreased demand."

As a result, voices opposing the law have emerged in Okinawa, saying, "Traditional food is about to disappear due to mainland laws." The conflict between the Japanese government and Okinawa over this traditional tofu has continued since the 1970s. After Okinawa was merged into Japan in 1972, the Japanese government applied the mainland Food Sanitation Act, which requires tofu to be refrigerated in water like regular tofu. In response, the Okinawa Tofu Processing Association filed a petition against the government, arguing that Okinawa's unique food culture of eating hot tofu should be preserved. Consequently, the Japanese government granted a special exception allowing warm tofu sales limited to Okinawa.

An official from an Okinawan tofu processing company also stated, "We are willing to cooperate with the government on food safety, but we have never heard of any cases of food poisoning caused by tofu," and added, "We hope to discuss how to preserve food culture in a way that suits the local situation."