February 16, 2007

Japan to evaluate beef from 13 countries

Japan's Food Safety Commission plans to conduct risk evaluations on beef from 13 countries, including Mexico and Chile, according to a report by the Japanese news agency, Kyodo.

The plan, according to the report, is in response to consumer concerns about insufficient risk control measures for beef imports from countries such as Mexico and Chile. Imports from those countries have increased significantly since 2003, when Japan banned US beef imports due to concerns about mad cow disease.

The US and Canada however, will not be subject to the evaluation because the panel has already carried out risk evaluations for US and Canadian beef.