August 25, 2005
 

Japan worries that US feed rules may spread BSE

A sub-committee of Japan's Food Safety Commission (FSC), which is deciding if US beef imports should be allowed again, has expressed worries that US animal feed rules could still allow BSE to spread.

The panel members, meeting for the fifth time since May after the Japanese government asked them to decide on US beef safety, said on Aug 24 they cannot rule out the possibility that the US BSE situation might become like the UK's.

Panel member Tetsuyuki Kitamoto said US cattle may still be at risk because meat-and-bone meal (MBM) produced from cattle is still being used in the US as feed for pigs and poultry.

MBM produced from cattle, banned in Japan as a feed for all animals, is thought to cause BSE.

Without the approval from this 12-member panel, the government cannot agree to resume US beef imports. The FSC added that it is uncertain as to when the panel would complete its risk assessment on US beef.

Japan was once the top importer of US beef, with imports valued at US$1.4 billion in 2003.