May 31, 2007

Japan's Seiyu supermarket to distribute more US beef 

Japanese supermarket chain Seiyu Ltd. said Wednesday (May 30) it will distribute US beef at 158 of its outlets on Friday (June 1), up from the present 52 chains to meet strong consumer demand.

The 158 outlets include all of the 155 stores Seiyu operates in seven prefectures in the greater Tokyo area-Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Ibaraki, Gunma and Shizuoka-and three outlets in Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures in the Tohoku region in northeastern Japan, the Japanese unit of US retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said.

Seiyu has began selling US beef at 20 of its outlets in the greater Tokyo area in March 31, becoming the first large retailer in Japan to do so after it has stopped sales of American beef due to mad cow disease in the United States in December 2003.