February 6, 2004

Japan Mulls Over Processed Chicken Imports From China, Thailand

Japan is considering the import resumption of cooked chicken products from China and Thailand, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry officials said Thursday.

A Chinese delegation will visit Japan to hold trade talks from February 11-15, the ministry added.

The move is good news for the Japanese restaurant industry and frozen foods makers, which have been hit by Japan's import ban of the products due to the bird flu outbreak in Asia. Chinese and Thai products accounted for 97.7% of 224,000 tons of cooked chicken products imported by Japan in fiscal 2002.

"We will send a fact-finding mission to both countries to study carefully how (the bird flu outbreak) occurred and what is the current situation," said Mamoru Ishihara, vice minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

According to the ministry, the Chinese government sent a written request to the Japanese Embassy on Tuesday, asking that Japan resume imports of heat-treated poultry products. The Thai government followed suit Thursday.

Before complying with the request, Japan must strike an accord with the two countries on heating procedures and hygienic management at local chicken products factories, and then send experts there to verify, the officials said.

An official said that chicken, even if infected with avian flu virus, can be safe if the meat is cooked at a temperature of 70 C for a minimum of one minute.

"But the cooked meat can be infected with the virus again if the meat-processing facility is not very clean," he added.

Requests for import resumption have also been filed by some Japanese food makers hit by the avian influenza outbreak in countries supplying chicken to Japan, saying the use of high-priced domestic poultry will increase their product costs.