February 27, 2004

Japan Not Satisfied With US Mad Cow Testing Plan

US move to increase mad cow testing is not welcomed by Japan as it does not meet Japanese demands for blanket testing of all cattle, a top bureaucrat at the farm ministry said Thursday.

Japan will determine whether it will resume beef imports from the United States based on a premise that the U.S. government will conduct blanket testing and remove all special risk materials from cattle, Mamoru Ishihara, vice minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, said at a news conference.

"Such a Japanese position has not changed," Ishihara said.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman voiced readiness Tuesday to strengthen testing for mad cow disease by mainly targeting animals aged 30 months or older.

Japan imposed the import ban on U.S. beef products after the U.S. announced Dec. 23 its first case of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), was found in a cow in the state of Washington.

As a condition for resuming U.S. beef imports, Japan has asked the U.S. to test all slaughtered cattle for BSE, but the U.S. has rejected the call, saying it is scientifically unreasonable.