April 26, 2012

 

US new mad cow case may not affect Japan's beef import

 

 

Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said Wednesday (Apr 25) that the new case of mad cow disease in the US is unlikely to affect Japan's decision on whether to ease its import restrictions on US cattle.

 

Fujimura, the top government spokesman, also said Japan believes there is no need to take further steps with regard to US beef imports as the dairy cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, found in California, was aged 30 months or older.

 

His remarks come as Japan is considering easing restrictions that currently allow only imports of meat from cattle aged 20 months or less from the US to that from cattle aged 30 months or less.

 

''The (problematic) beef won't be put on the market,'' Fujimura said at a press conference.

 

Asked whether the new BSE case would prevent Japan from reviewing import rules on US beef, Fujimura said, ''There is no change. The Food Safety Commission is considering (the rules) in a scientific manner,'' referring to an independent unit under the Cabinet Office.

 

A senior official of the Japanese farm ministry echoed the view. The latest discovery of an infected cow ''confirmed the US surveillance (on BSE) is functioning,'' the official said, adding the new BSE detection ''is unlikely to affect discussions about reviewing import regulations'' on US beef.

 

The USDA said Tuesday (Apr 24) it has confirmed the country's fourth case of mad cow disease, marking the first BSE infection since 2006.

 

Japanese farm minister Michihiko Kano told reporters Wednesday morning that he has instructed his staff to gather information and verify the facts of the case. Tokyo banned imports of US and Canadian beef in 2003 following the confirmation of the brain-wasting disease. While it lifted the blanket ban in December 2005, it has imposed conditions that included the 20-month-or-younger age limit.

 

Like the government, distribution centres also took a calm approach, with a major supermarket chain in the Kanto region saying it does not plan to withhold US beef products. An official from Yoshinoya Holdings Co., operator of a ''gyudon'' beef bowl restaurant chain which uses US beef, said, ''Our firm will conduct thorough safety checks and tell our customers with confidence that there is no problem.'' Consumers groups, meanwhile, have voiced concerns over the latest discovery.

 

Hisa Anan, an official of Shodanren, a national liaison council of consumer groups, said, ''Discussions to expand (US beef) imports should be put back on the drawing board.''

 

Yasuaki Yamaura of the Consumers Union of Japan called on the government to do a thorough onsite investigation, noting that the US explanation to Japan is ''insufficient.''

 

Tokyo banned imports of US and Canadian beef in 2003 following the confirmation of the brain-wasting disease. While it lifted the blanket ban in December 2005, it has imposed conditions that included the 20-month-or-younger age limit.

 

The US has urged Japan to lift its import restrictions on American beef products, saying it should make a decision based on scientific evidence. BSE is a progressive neurological disease among cattle that is always fatal. Affected animals may display nervousness or aggression, abnormal posture, difficulty in coordination and rising, decreased milk production, or loss of body weight despite continued appetite, according to the USDA.