Articles on BSE

MAFF to Harness JAS Mark as Means of Ensuring Beef Traceability
 

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) announced on April 29 that it has decided to harness the JAS mark as a means of ensuring the traceability of beef and beef products.  Permission to use the JAS mark will be conditional on the recording and disclosure of information such as the names of feeds given to cattle and the establishment of systems that allow consumers to verify the content of this information.  The labels on beef qualifying for the JAS mark will bear the words seisan joho kohyo gyuniku ["production information disclosed beef"].

The decision will be formalized at a General Meeting of the Research Committee for the Japanese Standard of Agricultural and Forestry Products (JAS) to be held this autumn, and the system is likely to be implemented in FY 2004.

The Diet is currently debating a draft Beef Traceability Law that would require producers to allow consumers to access production information over the Internet.  Under the new JAS standard, farmers must record, store and disclose information such as the names of feeds and pharmaceuticals given to cattle, which they are not required to do under the Beef Traceability Law.  The producer's telephone number and website address must be displayed on packaging and POP panels in stores, to allow consumers to obtain information on demand.

In addition to the name of the cut, the packaging of beef that meets these requirements will bear the words seisan joho kohyo gyuniku ["production information disclosed beef"].  The creation of a special JAS mark for beef is being considered.  As with other JAS mark foods, would-be users will have to apply to a government-registered certifying organization, and will only receive permission to use the mark once it has been confirmed that they meet the requirements.

MAFF recognizes that the JAS standard may have to be modified to some extent, depending on the content of the Law, once it is passed, and of the associated government and ministerial ordinances.

MAFF, MHLW Stop Imports of Canadian Beef Following Discovery of BSE-Infected Cow

Following news of the discovery of a BSE- (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) infected cow in Canada, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) took measures to stop imports of cattle and beef products from that country, as of May 21.

In 2002, Japan imported 19,700 tons of beef from Canada.  By volume, Canada is the third largest exporter of beef to Japan and commands 3.7% of the Japanese market.

The infected animal was 8 years old and thought to be of Canadian origin.  Canada is the first country outside the 15 countries of the EU in respect of which Japan has imposed an import ban on the grounds of BSE.

MHLW has started testing Canadian beef already imported to Japan and, where it judges that there is a risk of contamination by tissue from specific areas such as the head, will order importers to recall the products in question.

Japan Asks US to Tighten BSE Quarantine Measures on Exports to Japan

On June 5, Agriculture Minister Yoshiyuki Kamei called US Ambassador Howard H. Baker to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and asked him to convey to his country's government a strong request that only safe cattle and beef products be shipped to Japan, on the grounds that the possibility of beef originating in Canada, where there has been an outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), being exported via the United States cannot be discounted.

Mr. Kamei had announced on June 3, in the course of discussions in the Diet, that he would be putting this request to the US Embassy.  The request also comes at a time when the Japanese people are showing a keen interest in the assurance of food safety.  At the meeting with Ambassador Baker, Mr. Kamei said that Japan's experience as a country that has suffered a BSE outbreak indicates that the testing of all animals, the removal of specific parts of carcasses, and the introduction of traceability systems (systems that allow the production and distribution history of animals to be traced) are effective in relieving the anxieties of consumers, and suggested that the United States would do well to adopt measures of this kind.

Mr. Kamei also mentioned the fact that fears over the safety of beef imported from North America were growing among Japanese consumers, and expressed the hope that the United States would respond to Japan's request at an early date.

Ambassador Baker replied that the US government placed first priority on health, adding that he felt it was important for Japan and the United States to cooperate and share information, and that the two countries would certainly be able to resolve the problem if they worked together.  He promised to pass on Japan's request to the US Secretary of Agriculture without delay.

The United States imports 378,000 tons of beef and 1.68 million live cattle from Canada each year.  It is also possible that meat from infected Canadian cattle has been used in dog food and exported to the United States.  Japan imports some 300,000 tons of beef from the United States each year.

Display of Ear Tag Numbers on Beef Products to be Compulsory from December

On June 14, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) announced that it has decided that the requirement to display ear tag numbers on beef products under the new Beef Traceability Law should apply only to cuts, and should be waived for ground meat, scraps, pre-cooked dishes and other processed foods.  It has also decided that the requirement to display ear tag numbers should apply to four types of specialist restaurant, including yakiniku [Korean-style barbecue] houses.  MAFF believes these measures will cover approximately 70% of domestic beef.

MAFF also revealed the dates from which the requirements for ear tagging, etc. are to be imposed.  The requirements on livestock farmers to fit cattle with ear tags and declare the date of birth of animals, etc. will apply from December 1, 2003, while the requirement on distributors and retailers to display ear tag numbers on beef products will apply from December 1, 2004.

Some 55% of domestic beef is sold in the form of cuts.  MAFF estimates that around 15% is used by the four types of specialist restaurant subject to the ear tag number display requirement.

New JAS Standard to Assure Traceability of Products Not Covered by Beef Traceability Law

On June 22, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) revealed that it plans to establish a new JAS standard with a view to assuring the traceability of imported beef and beef product, which are not covered by the new Beef Traceability Law [traceability:  systems allowing the production and distribution history of a product to be traced].  Domestically produced beef will also be covered by the new standard, and in addition to the items of which the Beef Traceability Law requires disclosure, use of the JAS mark will be conditional on disclosure of information relating to feeds and use of pharmaceuticals.

The (Proposed) JAS Standard on “Production Information Disclosed Beef”

A spokesman for the MAFF Quality Division explained that the aim is to enhance consumer confidence in beef through the disclosure of information on the use of feeds and pharmaceuticals, matters in which consumers express considerable interest.

The new JAS standard is one of the special JAS standards guaranteeing a specific method of production, such as that of free-range chickens or organic farming products.  Use of the new JAS mark is conditional on the disclosure of production information, specifically [the animal’s] (i) date of birth, (ii) sex, and (iii) breed, (iv) the name & address of owner, (v) the location where the animal was fattened and date fattening commenced, (vi) the date the animal was slaughtered, (vii) the names of feeds used, and (viii) the names of animal pharmaceuticals administered.  If these requirements are met, the beef will be certified as joho kohyo gyuniku [“production information disclosed beef”].

The labels on certified beef and beef products will bear the words joho kohyo gyuniku after the product name, and will be required to display contact details, such as a website address or fax number, via which consumers can request production information.  Labels on imported beef and beef products will also bear unique ID numbers and symbols.

 The new JAS standard is to be published in October, once approved by the General Meeting of the Research Committee for the Japanese Standard of Agricultural and Forestry Products (JAS), to be held in September.  An interim period of 12 months or so is to be allowed, and beef bearing the new JAS mark is likely to come onto the market in 2004.  MAFF is considering the establishment of similar systems for pork and pork products, and plans to unveil a new JAS mark common to all products.

However, certification under JAS standards is purely voluntary.  Certification is not compulsory in any way.  Just how many importers will go to the cost and trouble of identifying imported beef and disclosing its production history is uncertain.  Nevertheless, the fact that consumers demand the disclosure of this information means that the requirements for disclosure of production history should apply equally to domestically produced and imported beef.

MAFF Publishes New Standards on Cattle Suspected of BSE Infection

On June 25, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) finalized new domestic standards on cattle to be culled on suspicion of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) infection and notified prefectural governments and other bodies.  Until now, 80% of animals kept in the same location as infected cattle have been culled, but under the new standards, the ratio will be reduced to around 20%.

Also on June 25, MAFF announced the lifting of its call for voluntary restriction of the movement of cattle fed meat-and-bone meal, allowing such animals and their products to be shipped.

In line with the revision of the OIE (Office International des Epizooties, the world organization for animal health) standards, Japan’s new standards exclude from suspicion of BSE any cattle brought to the same location as BSE infected cattle only after the age of 12 months.

The domestic standards are set out in MAFF’s BSE testing manual, which has also been revised.

Among other provisions, the new standards require the culling of (i) cattle that have, at any time before reaching the age of 12 months, been kept in the same location as infected cattle aged 12 months or less and (ii) cattle born from infected cows less than two years before the infected animal developed BSE.

Japan Voices Concern as US Considers Lifting Ban on Imports of Canadian Beef

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Yoshiyuki Kamei, currently visiting the United States, and US Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman met for talks in Washington DC on July 10.  According to a report received by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) on July 11, Ms. Veneman informed the Minister that the United States is giving serious consideration to the possibility of lifting the ban on imports of beef from Canada, which have been suspended following an outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in that country, starting with those products that present the lowest risk.  Mr. Kamei expressed Japan’s grave concern that such a move would increase the risk of Canadian beef being imported to Japan via the United States.

During the meeting, Ms. Veneman explained that the United States and Canada are working together to evaluate the risks in a scientific manner, conforming to OIE (Office International des Epizooties, the world organization for animal health) standards.  Ms. Veneman said she appreciated the concerns of Japanese consumers, but said the important thing was to evaluate the risks in a scientific manner.  With a view to gaining Japan’s approval for restarting imports from Canada, she also proposed talks between the United States and Japan, involving experts from both countries.

Mr. Kamei replied that the views of the consumer should be put first, and that securing food safety and peace of mind should be the prime concern.  He urged the United States to ensure thorough testing at the time of export and certification of country of origin on test certificates.

Ms. Veneman also urged Japan not to activate special safeguard measures to raise the tariff on beef in response to the rapid growth of beef imports.  Mr. Kamei answered that the legislation on these safeguard measures had been enacted by the Japanese Diet and that MAFF had no say in their implementation.

US and Japan Agree on Measures to Stop Re-exportation of Canadian Beef to Japan

On August 9, the US and Japanese governments reached an agreement whereby the United States will take steps to prevent beef produced in Canada, which recently faced an outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), from being re-exported to Japan. The United States is due to reopen its borders to imports of beef from Canada on September 1. US government auditors will inspect beef for export at the slaughtering stage to verify that it has not been commingled with Canadian beef, and will issue certificates to this effect in respect of shipments destined for Japan. The aim is to assure the safety of beef exported from the United States.

As requested by Japan, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will draw up guidelines requiring farmers to distinguish between US cattle and those bred in other countries. USDA officials will visit slaughterhouses, etc. to check that imported beef is strictly separated from domestic meat, and procedures will be introduced for the issue of certificates to the effect that beef for export was not produced in Canada.

Japan will only admit imports of beef with this certificate. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) says the measure will prevent Canadian beef from entering Japan via the United States.

Japan suspended all imports of beef and beef products from Canada on May 21 following the discovery of a BSE-infected cow in that country. Japan intends to continue its ban on imports of Canadian beef.

According to MAFF figures, Japan imported some 20,000 tons of beef from Canada and 220,000 tons from the United States in 2002. The United States imported approximately 340,000 tons of beef from Canada in the same year.

MHLW to Ban Sale and Use of Beef on the Bone from BSE-Affected Countries

On September 12, the Cabinet Office Food Safety Commission, which has been investigating the risk of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) infection from the dorsal root ganglia in and around cattle spines, announced it had reached the conclusion that consuming the ganglia presents the same level of risk as consuming spinal cord, already listed as a “specified risk part”.

Following this announcement, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) said it intends to ban the sale of beef on the bone from all BSE-affected countries, including Japan, and the use of cattle spines as a raw material in the manufacture of processed foods and food additives. MHLW already lists the brain, eyes, spinal cord, and parts of the small intestine as presenting a risk of BSE infection and requires the meat industry to remove and incinerate these parts when cattle are slaughtered.

At present, however, producers are allowed to distribute cattle spines, and cuts of meat that include bones from the spine, e.g. T-bone steaks, are still sold. Spines removed at abattoirs and butcher shops are used to produce beef extract and bone oil.

MHLW has been discussing how cattle spines should be handled since last year, when the Office International des Epizooties revised the international regulations on animal hygiene and added spines to the list of cattle parts “unsuitable for human consumption”. MHLW will make its final decision on how to regulate beef extract and other beef-based additives used in the manufacture of processed foods after conducting a survey of their distribution among abattoirs and processed food manufacturers.

Keyword: dorsal root ganglion

Organ housing a collection of sensory nerve cells and located in or close to the spine.

Japan Declines to Lift Import Ban on Canadian Beef

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Yoshiyuki Kamei and Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lyle Vanclief met for talks in Cancún, Mexico, on September 11. Mr. Vanclief requested that Japan lift the ban on imports of Canadian beef imposed after Canada’ s recent outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy). Mr. Kamei replied that Japan could not agree to lift the ban at so early a date.

Mr. Vanclief pointed out that many other countries had started importing Canadian beef again, and urged that Japan do the same. Mr. Kamei countered that Canada has yet to offer a clear explanation of what concrete measures it has taken to assure the safety of its beef, and told the Canadian Minister that Japan could not agree to an early lifting of the import ban while no convincing, scientific explanation was forthcoming.

MAFF to Establish New JAS Standard for Beef, Also Applicable to Imports

On September 16, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) revealed that, by December 1, it plans to draw up a new JAS (Japanese Standard of Agricultural and Forestry Products) standard with a view to assuring the traceability of the production history of beef, whether domestically produced or imported. The establishment of the new standard is timed to coincide with the date of enforcement of the new Beef Traceability Law (which requires the establishment of systems allowing the production and distribution history of a product to be traced). In addition to date of birth, date slaughtered and other information whose disclosure is required under the Beef Traceability Law, approval under the new JAS standard will be conditional on the disclosure of information relating to feeds and pharmaceuticals.

Also on September 16, the Research Committee for the Japanese Standard of Agricultural and Forestry Products, which is responsible for discussing the establishment and modification of JAS standards, held a general meeting, which approved the establishment of a new "JAS standard on production information disclosed beef". On receiving notification of the results of the meeting, MAFF announced that it plans to publish details of the new standard by November 1.

The proposal is that the new JAS standard should require disclosure of a total of ten items of information, to include information on feeds and pharmaceuticals given to the animal as well as the eight items whose disclosure is compulsory under the Beef Traceability Law (date of birth, sex, name and address of owner, etc.). Beef that satisfies these disclosure requirements will be certified as joho kohyo gyuniku ["production information disclosed beef"].

For imported beef (which is not covered by the provisions of the Beef Traceability Law) to be approved under the new JAS standard, disclosure of the same ten items as for domestically produced beef will be required. However, because certification under the JAS system is purely voluntary, it is likely that only importers who wish to give their product added value by disclosing its production history will make use of the new JAS standard.

MAFF Report: Infection Routes are Closed and No Further Cases of BSE Will Arise

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) BSE Epidemiological Study Team, set up to investigate the causes of the outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in Japan, published its final report on September 30. The report points to a strong possibility that the outbreak was due to secondary infection caused by meat-and-bone meal made from cattle imported from the United Kingdom in the 1980s, and by inadequately heat-treated meat-and-bone meal imported from Italy.

At a press conference held the same day, the Study Team's leader Kazuya Yamauchi (Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo) said that the countermeasures implemented to date, which include prohibiting the feeding of meat-and-bone meal to cattle, had closed off the sources and routes of infection virtually completely, and that there would be no further cases of BSE. The investigation of causes of infection in respect of the seven cases of BSE discovered in Japan to date is now over, but MAFF will continue to investigate causes of infection if other cases are discovered.

The Study Team has investigated sources and routes of infection for the seven cases of BSE discovered in Japan to date. Its report takes the view that the sources of infection in these cases may have been meat-and-bone meal made from 14 head of cattle imported from the United Kingdom between 1982 and 1987, and meat-and-bone meal made from cattle that became infected by eating meat-and-bone meal imported from Italy prior to 1990. Milk substitute made with animal fat imported from the Netherlands has effectively been excluded from the possible sources of infection.

The report estimates the current numbers of BSE infected cattle in Japan as being 10-12 in East Japan and West Japan, and 8-13 in the Kyushu region. However, it suggests that approximately 60% of these are animals under the age of 30 months, in which the level of BSE pathogens does not build up, so that the number of cases that will actually be detected by testing is likely to be 7-9 in the Kanto region, 5-7 in the Kyushu region and 3-4 in Hokkaido. The possible routes of infection from these cattle have been virtually completely shut off, and MAFF believes that "there is no risk of further infection, and BSE will not reach the consumer."

Causes (Assumed) of BSE Outbreak in Japan and Measures to Prevent Spreading

US to Reopen Borders to Canadian Calves; Japan Expresses Fears of Commingling

On October 31, the United States Department of Agriculture revealed it had decided to lift the ban on imports of calves bred in Canada, imposed following an outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in that country, early next year. The decision raises the possibility that meat from cattle born in Canada will be shipped to Japan along with meat from cattle born in the United States.

Under the proposed conditions for the lifting of the ban published by the Department of Agriculture, the United States will allow imports of young cattle of less than 30 months born in Canada on the grounds that such animals are extremely unlikely to be infected with BSE.

Japan has imposed a ban on all beef and live cattle from Canada since the outbreak of BSE in that country was reported in May this year. For this reason, the Japanese and US governments had agreed measures to prevent the commingling of Canadian beef with American beef for export to Japan after the United States partially lifted its ban on imports of Canadian beef in September.

However, the lifting of the import ban means that if a young animal from Canada is slaughtered for meat after being fattened in the United States, there is a significant risk that it will be exported to Japan as American beef. A Japanese government official said, "The only option is to ask the US government to take some kind of action to prevent the commingling of Canadian beef."

MAFF to Ask United States to Ensure Canadian Beef is Not Re-exported to Japan

On November 1, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) decided to ask the United States to take steps to ensure that beef from Canada, which is facing an outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), from being re-exported to Japan. The move follows America's decision to reopen its borders to imports of calves born in Canada early next year. Specifically, Japan will ask the United States to inspect beef for export at the slaughtering stage to verify that it has not been commingled with Canadian beef, and issue certificates to this effect.

MHLW to Ban Foods Made With Cattle Spines from BSE-Affected Countries

On November 14, a specialist subcommittee of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation Council decided, as a countermeasure against BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) to ban the manufacture of food made using bones from cattle spines from all BSE-affected countries, including Japan, as raw material. The ban is to include T-bone steak, beef bone extract and bone oil

Until now, MHLW has designated meat from cattle heads (excluding the tongue and cheeks), the spinal cord and the ileum as "specified risk parts" (i.e. parts that present a risk of BSE infection), on the grounds that they are the parts where abnormal prions (the protein that is the pathogen in BSE) accumulate, and has required the meat industry to remove these parts when cattle are butchered.

However, in September 2002, the Office International des Epizooties (the world organization for animal health) revised its regulations, adding spines to the list of cattle parts "unsuitable for human consumption" on the grounds that abnormal prions accumulate in the organs known as "dorsal root ganglia", which are located in or close to the spine. MHLW thereupon consulted the Cabinet Office Food Safety Commission, whose advice was that cattle spines "present the same risk as the spinal cord, which is a specified risk part".

More than a year has passed between the identification of the risk and the actual ban, but MHLW maintains that the amount of abnormal prions accumulating in the ganglia is extremely small and that there is no problem since all animals slaughtered during this period have been tested for BSE and infected cattle have not been used as raw material.

The ban is due to come into effect in mid-February 2004, once the specialist subcommittee has debated the issues involved, but MHLW expressed the view that it would be desirable for the meat industry to refrain from using cattle spines even before the ban is imposed. The ban will not apply to cattle from United States, Australia and other countries not affected by

BSE. Cattle tails, where there are no ganglia, are also excluded from the ban.

Proposed MAFF Regulations Effectively Treat Cattle Spines as Waste

On December 2, following the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's designation of the spinal columns of cattle as "unsuitable for human consumption" as a countermeasure against BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) published a regulatory policy proposal, under which the use of meat-and-bone meal and fats derived from cattle spines in fertilizers and feeds is to be prohibited. Cattle spines, which rendering companies have up to now accepted, for a fee, along with "ordinary" cattle bones are effectively treated as waste and meat packers will be forced to find their own means of disposal.

MAFF already requires meat packers and wholesalers to keep cattle spines and "ordinary" bones strictly separate during storage and transportation, e.g. by using containers of different colors. Under the proposed regulations, the work and cost of processing after sorting will also fall on the person or organization generating the waste.

MAFF is inviting members of the public to submit their opinions over the Internet, up to December 16. MAFF will then revise the relevant ministerial ordinances and may implement new regulations as early as February 2004.

Agriculture Minister Meets OIE Director General for Talks on BSE

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Yoshiyuki Kamei, currently visiting Europe, met Dr. Bernard Vallat, Director General of the Office International des Epizooties (OIE/World Organization for Animal Health) in Paris on December 3, for talks on BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy).

In connection with the revision of international standards on the handling of BSE, Mr. Kamei told Dr. Vallat that, amidst a high degree of consumer concern, Japan had decided to test all cattle for BSE at the slaughterhouse and had identified two young animals (aged 23 and 21 months respectively) infected with an atypical form of the disease. In addition to providing scientific information of this kind, Mr. Kamei said Japan intended to take an active part in the OIE discussions.

Mr. Kamei observed that BSE was a disease of which many aspects had yet to be explained in scientific terms. With regard to the OIE proposal for the revision of international standards on the handling of BSE, Mr. Kamei said he believed it was important that the standards assure the safety of beef and restore consumer trust in beef, in Japan and around the world.

Dr. Vallat replied that the OIE regarded the identification of atypical forms of BSE and the discovery of young cattle infected with BSE in Japan and Italy as an important issue and for this reason would be holding a reference laboratory meeting on December 4, to which it had invited specialists from Japan as well as Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Dr. Vallat said the OIE would be seeking the views of member countries regarding the review of international standards on the handling of BSE and that, in this connection, intended to provide an opportunity for Japanese specialists to explain Japan's point of view.

MAFF to Introduce DNA Testing of Beef to Help Prevent False Labeling

With a view to preventing the false labeling of beef, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has decided to introduce DNA testing by the end of fiscal 2003 as a means of checking that beef labeled as wagyu [Japanese beef] really does come from animals of the Japanese breed. The decision is based on concern that, in the wake of the outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in the United States, another false labeling scandal might further damage consumer confidence in beef. DNA testing will be used in spot tests at stores, to be conducted on a random basis, with a view to discouraging false labeling. MAFF also intends to apply the DNA tests to kuro-buta [Japanese black pig] pork among other products.

Many of the series of false labeling incidents in 2002 involved the labeling of cheaper meat from animals of the Holstein breed or Holstein-wagyu crossbreeds as wagyu. Beef from crossbreeds is particularly difficult to distinguish from true wagyu beef, being very similar in quality. Monitoring of labeling under the Law Concerning Standardization and Proper Labeling of Agricultural and Forestry Products (JAS Law) has been based on the checking of documentation and has proved of limited efficacy in preventing false labeling.

DNA testing already applies to rice (since 2001) and eels. Technical progress means that it is now possible to ascertain with nearly 100 percent accuracy whether or not beef is wagyu. In the wake of the BSE outbreak in the United States, MAFF is hastening to strengthen its monitoring arrangements with a view to allaying fears that American beef may be falsely labeled as domestically produced.

MAFF plans to select beef labeled as wagyu from stores at random. MAFF-affiliated organizations will perform DNA tests and if the results are suspect, MAFF will initiate on-site investigations. The tests are not 100% accurate, but are considered to be adequate for sifting out false labeling. MAFF intends to extend the scope of DNA testing to kuro-buta pork and fish among other foods.

Since December 2003, the Beef Traceability Law has made it compulsory for the labeling of beef products to show details of production history from the distribution stage onwards. MAFF also plans to use the DNA tests to confirm the accuracy of labeling.

Japan Suspends Beef Imports from US Following First Outbreak of BSE

At a press conference on December 23, 2003, US Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman revealed that a dairy cow of the Holstein breed highly likely to be infected with BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) had been discovered in Washington State. On December 24, the Japanese government responded by suspending imports of beef, beef products, live cattle, and lamb and goat meat from the United States, as of the same day. If BSE infection is confirmed, the cow will be America's first known case of the disease. At a press conference on December 24, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Yoshiyuki Kamei and Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Chikara Sakaguchi told reporters that when negotiating with the United States, they intended to demand that all slaughtered cattle be tested for BSE, as is current practice in Japan, as a condition for the lifting of the import ban. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) established a BSE countermeasures headquarters and issued a statement to the effect that it would do everything in its power to assure the safety of beef and restore peace of mind.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) will instruct importers to recall "specified risk parts" such as the brain but will not ban the distribution of American beef that has already entered Japan.

Minister of Agriculture Yoshiyuki Kamei said the import ban was unlikely to cause a supply problem in the short term, telling reporters, "We estimate that Japan has stocks equivalent to a month's supply and has enough beef to cope with the peak in demand at the end of the year."

However, in fiscal 2002 Japan imported 240,000 tons of beef from the United States, a quarter of its domestic consumption. As a prolonged import ban could make the supply of beef tight, MAFF is to send officials to Australia and New Zealand to investigate the possibility of raising the volume of exports to Japan. MAFF will continue to conduct and publish the results of its weekly survey of beef prices, checking for opportunistic price increases, etc.

Japan has suspended imports of beef, etc. from all countries where there has been an outbreak of BSE and to date has not lifted any such ban. The procedure and criteria for the

lifting of import bans have yet to be decided.

The MAFF Food Safety & Consumer Affairs Bureau said it would no doubt be difficult for

MAFF to make the decision to lift the import ban on its own if BSE infection were confirmed. If the US government asks that the ban be lifted, it is likely that the Food Safety Commission will make the final decision, having first debated the conditions required to assure safety.

Secretary of Agriculture Veneman said tests to confirm the presence or absence of BSE infection would be carried out in the United Kingdom. Confirmation is expected to take 3-5 days. The animal in question has already been slaughtered and its meat has entered the distribution system. The US Department of Agriculture is tracing its movements. The origin of the infection is not known.

Update: On December 25, precision tests performed at a laboratory in the United Kingdom confirmed the Washington State cow to be BSE-infected.

BSE Testing of All Animals Exported to Japan a Condition for Lifting of Ban on US Beef Imports

A senior official of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) said on January 5 that the lifting of the ban on imports of beef produced in the United States, imposed following the outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in that country was "at the very least" conditional on testing of all animals to be exported to Japan, but indicated that Japan would not necessarily insist on the testing of all animals slaughtered in the United States. MAFF statement is based on the view that safety and peace of mind can be assured if all animals for export to Japan are tested.

MAFF has also revealed that it will be sending a team of investigators to the United States within the week. The team is likely to include representatives of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Food Safety Commission and will seek to establish details such as the origin of the outbreak.

The US government is pressing for an early lifting of the import ban on the grounds that the BSE-infected cow was from Canada. However, at a press conference, Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Yoshiaki Watanabe argued that, given the feeding history, etc., "The animal did not pass through [the United States] without stopping, which means [the United States] cannot be considered a BSE-free country," and stressed that Japan would be pressing for tests of the same level of efficacy as those performed in Japan.

FAO Urges Testing of All Slaughtered Cattle

Following the discovery of a BSE-infected cow in the United States, the Food and

Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) issued a statement on January 12 in which it says that BSE controls in many countries are still not sufficient. The FAO takes the view that testing of all cattle over the age of 30 months sent to meat processors would help to reassure consumers and urges the United States, which has until now been reluctant to adopt testing of all slaughtered animals, to strengthen its BSE control measures.

The statement points out that the number of cattle tested each year is far higher in France (nearly 3 million animals) and Japan (500,000 animals) than in the United States (20,000 animals) and emphasizes that as testing costs are estimated at around $50 per animal, testing can be considered cost-effective given the potential damage of BSE outbreaks to human health and the meat markets.

Given the risk that infection will spread due to the global trade in feeds, etc., FAO also calls for a ban on the use of meat-and-bone-meal and strict controls to ensure the removal of specified risk materials such as brain and spinal cord.

The United States has shown itself ready to strengthen testing arrangements with a view to securing the lifting of bans on imports of American beef by a number of countries including Japan but has so far taken a negative stance on the introduction of testing of all slaughtered animals for which the Japanese government is pressing.

Government Investigation Team Finds US Precautions Against BSE "Inadequate"

A government team dispatched to the United States and Canada to investigate the BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) problem in the United States published its findings on January 19. The team's report concludes that the cow diagnosed with BSE probably contracted the disease from meat-and-bone meal it was given while in Canada but adds, "It is hard to find any significant difference between the United States and Canada in terms of contamination and there is no guarantee that the United States will see no further outbreaks of BSE."

The joint investigation team, made up of experts from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Food Safety Commission, traveled to the United States and Canada to conduct on-site interviews and inspections and returned to Japan on January 18.

The report of the team's findings accepts the United States' assertion that it is highly

probable the animal was infected through meat-and-bone meal it was given on a farm in Canada, but states, "There is a two-way trade between the United States and Canada in both livestock and feeds, and the related industries are highly integrated. It is possible that the

meat-and-bone meal fed to the infected animal was also exported to the United States."

As regards controls on meat-and-bone meal in the United States, the report says it is uncertain whether all small farms have been complying with the ban on the use of meat-and-bone meal as a livestock feed and that it is also possible feeds may be contaminated with meat-and-bone meal at factories, during the production process.

For these reasons, the report says feeds used in the United States cannot be considered safe and finds precautions against BSE in that country are "inadequate".

However, the team notes many issues have yet to be cleared up and proposes to continue its investigation, asking both the United States and Canada to provide further information.

MAFF to Establish More Detailed Criteria for BSE Risk Assessment to Cover Countries With Outbreaks

In view of the outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in the United States, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has decided to revise the method by which it assesses the level of BSE risk facing a country. MAFF will establish a more detailed risk scale that will also cover countries in which there has already been an outbreak of the disease, for which risk has not until now been assessed. The aim is to make it easier to press the United States to introduce further safety measures in the negotiations over the lifting of Japan's ban on imports of beef from the United States.

At present, Japan's assessment standards simply divide "countries with an outbreak" from "countries with no outbreak" and because imports of beef from countries where there has been an outbreak are banned, it has been difficult to press those countries to pursue measures to improve safety.

MAFF is considering a proposal to revise Japan's assessment methodology, with reference to the assessment standards of the OIE (Office International des Epizooties; the world organization for animal health), which classify risk according to five levels and also cover risk in countries with outbreaks of the disease. As the risk in a country with an outbreak will fall into one category or another according to the measures taken in response to the outbreak, the necessary safety standards will be clear and it will be easier to negotiate the strengthening of countermeasures.

While a number of countries, including Australia, have applied to the OIE for risk assessments, MAFF intends to recruit support from other countries, through diplomatic channels, for a review of OIE standards, with a view to having the new assessment methods

Japan proposes to adopt reflected in international standards.

No Progress in Japan-US Talks on Lifting of US Beef Import Ban

On February 11, US Trade Representative Ambassador Robert B. Zoellick, currently visiting Japan, met, in succession, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Yoshiyuki Kamei, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Shoichi Nakagawa, Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, for talks on the import ban on American beef imposed by Japan following the outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in the United States. In response to the USTR's repeated requests that the ban be lifted, the ministers reiterated Japan's position that the US must first introduce measures for the testing of all slaughtered cattle and take steps to ensure the removal of all specified risk materials from carcasses, and the two sides failed to reach agreement.

During the talks, the United States communicated its intention of sending a team of government representatives to Japan to re-open talks with a view to obtaining the lifting of the import ban. However, the United States has merely said it is "considering" whether or not to strengthen its BSE countermeasures in response to the recommendations of the international committee of experts, published on February 4, and has not changed its negative stance on the testing of all slaughtered cattle, taking the position that the need for testing of all slaughtered cattle should be assessed on a scientific basis and that care should be taken to ensure that trade is not obstructed.