June 9, 2006

 

Japan lists procedures, concerns on US beef

 

 

More procedural steps must be taken before Japan will agree to begin importing US beef again, though possibly not from all US-approved plants, according to a Japanese document given to US senators.

 

In a chart provided to several US senators by Japanese Ambassador to the US Ryozo Kato, Japan is now conducting 10 separate "risk communication" seminars to inform the public about US beef imports and the US experience dealing with mad cow disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

 

The seminars are scheduled to be conducted during the first two weeks of June, from Jun 1-14, according to the chart, entitled "Roadmap for the resumption of import procedure of US beef".

 

Sometime after Jun 14, Japan intends to conduct an audit of the 35 US beef producing plants that have already been audited by the US for compliance with the regulations Japan has demanded on US products.

 

Only after those steps are complete, according to the document that gives no timeline for completion, will there be a "resumption of beef import procedures from facilities that pass the audit".

 

One US Department of Agriculture official, who asked not to be named, said Japan's apparent desire to approve only certain US plants for purchases is troubling.

 

The USDA will insist on a system-wide approval from Japan that recognises all plants that meet certain standards, the official said.

 

The USDA is now at odds with South Korea over that country's desire to approve some US-qualified plants, but not others.

 

Karen Batra, a spokeswoman for the US-based National Cattlemen's Beef Association, also expressed concern because it appears Japan is trying to regulate US beef producers.

 

"I think that we would rather regulate our own facilities in this country rather than have a foreign government come over here and try to regulate our food supply," Batra said.

 

Japan banned US beef for about two years after the US found its first case of mad cow disease in December 2003. The country eased its ban in December 2005, but then stopped imports again about a month later after problems were found in a shipment that contained prohibited cattle material.

 

The USDA has apologised for the prohibited material in a shipment from one US supplier and USDA Secretary Mike Johanns called it an honest "human error" that should not be allowed to happen again.