Japan                                    ...

Japan                                                                                            

LDP Endorses U.S. Proposals On Age Determination

Japan's ruling party endorsed U.S. proposals for a methodology for determining the age of cattle meant for export to Japan. A Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) subcommittee on bovine spongiform encephalopathy said yesterday (Feb. 16) that it would support a decision by the health and agriculture ministries' task force in favor of the U.S. proposal subject to approval by Japan’s Food Safety Commission. USMEF President & CEO Philip Seng told Meatingplace.com that while the LDP still wields significant power, the opposition is now far more powerful than in the past. “I think there will be extreme scrutiny in the Diet [Japan's parliament] by the opposition," he said. "They will look at every detail.”

Seng said that the long-awaited report concerning elimination of Japan’s order to test every slaughtered animal for BSE has taken far longer than expected, and even if the law is modified, it may still take considerable time to resolve almost certain objections in the Diet. “The Japanese most definitely want American beef,” Seng said, but government officials are going to be meticulous about every technical detail.

Japan’s deputy consul-general, Kenichi Kimiya, told the Casper Star-Tribune, according to Meatingplace.com, that he expects shipments of beef to resume this summer.

Japan                                                                                            

LDP Endorses U.S. Proposals On Age Determination

Japan's ruling party endorsed U.S. proposals for a methodology for determining the age of cattle meant for export to Japan. A Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) subcommittee on bovine spongiform encephalopathy said yesterday (Feb. 16) that it would support a decision by the health and agriculture ministries' task force in favor of the U.S. proposal subject to approval by Japan’s Food Safety Commission. USMEF President & CEO Philip Seng told Meatingplace.com that while the LDP still wields significant power, the opposition is now far more powerful than in the past. “I think there will be extreme scrutiny in the Diet [Japan's parliament] by the opposition," he said. "They will look at every detail.”

Seng said that the long-awaited report concerning elimination of Japan’s order to test every slaughtered animal for BSE has taken far longer than expected, and even if the law is modified, it may still take considerable time to resolve almost certain objections in the Diet. “The Japanese most definitely want American beef,” Seng said, but government officials are going to be meticulous about every technical detail.

Japan’s deputy consul-general, Kenichi Kimiya, told the Casper Star-Tribune, according to Meatingplace.com, that he expects shipments of beef to resume this summer.