June 22, 2007

 

Japan still apprehensive of US beef

 

 

About 170 people from consumer groups and the beef industry in Japan have expressed worry on the safety of US beef even as Tokyo paves way for a possible full opening of Japanese market for American beef imports.

 

Last month's inspection of US meatpacking facilities by Japanese experts, which found no major violations of safety guidelines, has been adopted as part of an agreement to allow US resume its beef exports to Japan. US beef was barred in Japanese markets in December 2003 due to discovery of mad cow disease.

 

Masae Wada of Housewives' Association expressed distrust of what she described as Washington's high-handed tactics to try to pressure Tokyo to ease safety rules in a bid to regain its position as a top supplier of beef to the lucrative Japanese market.

 

She said the conclusion of the Japanese inspections is widely expected to pave the way for the start of fresh bilateral talks to review current tight import rules.

 

Beef supplies from the United States have remained 10 percent of their pre-ban level, largely due to a restriction on the cattle's age.

 

Tokyo currently only accepts US beef from cattle aged 20 months or younger, citing safety reasons, as younger cattle are thought less likely to develop the brain-wasting disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

 

Washington is demanding that Japan resume imports of US beef from cattle aged up to 30 months, in line with global standards.

 

An analyst at Australia's top meat industry marketing body said on Thursday that scrapping the 100 percent checks would double the volume of US beef shipments to Japan, currently around 2,000 tonnes a month.

 

Peter Weeks, chief market analyst of Meat & Livestock Australia, added, however, that US volumes were unlikely to exceed 5,000 tonnes a month in the months ahead.

 

This compares with US beef exports before the ban that amounted to 240,000 tonnes in 2003.

 

Beef industry sources say more supermarkets are beginning to offer US beef, a sign that consumer resistance may be slowly fading.

 

Japanese government officials sought to foster consumer understanding that human error could not be totally eliminated on consumers' fears.

 

Agriculture Ministry's Animal Health Division Director Takashi Himeda that a zero risk of violations being repeated is impossible. Four cases of safety violations were found in US beef supplies after the ban was lifted, and Himeda was responding to a question about fears that it could happen again.