October 21, 2004

Japan to End Blanket Tests for BSE

Blanket testing for bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Japan is set to end. This comes after the Cabinet Office's Food Safety Commission on Thursday approved a report by its subcommittee concluding it was difficult to test for BSE, also known as mad cow disease, in cattle under 20 months of age.

In response, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry and the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry will by the end of this month draw up a revised test that excludes cattle under 20 months of age.

The move clears the way for October talks between Japan and the United States regarding resumption of US beef imports.

The subcommittee was established by the FSC in August 2003 to study the prion proteins that cause mad cow disease, as well as to examine the government's BSE prevention measures.