Japan                                    ...

Japan                                                                                            

USDA Proposes To Allow Japanese Boneless Beef Imports

The United States banned imports of Japanese beef in September 2001, after Japanese officials announced Asia’s first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Yesterday, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a press release proposing to allow regulated imports of boneless Japanese beef.

APHIS and the Food Safety and Inspection Service conducted a thorough risk analysis evaluating the impact on animal health and audited the Japanese inspection system. Their conclusion was that it is safe to allow imports of “whole cuts of boneless beef from Japan, provided that certain conditions are met,” including, of course, removal of specified risk material.

The proposal is seen as a step on the road to the ending of Japan’s ban on U.S. beef imports, but APHIS says it is in accordance with international guidelines developed by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

This proposed rule is scheduled for publication in the Aug. 18 Federal Register. Interested parties may comment on it through Sept. 19.

Japan                                                                                            

USDA Proposes To Allow Japanese Boneless Beef Imports

The United States banned imports of Japanese beef in September 2001, after Japanese officials announced Asia’s first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Yesterday, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a press release proposing to allow regulated imports of boneless Japanese beef.

APHIS and the Food Safety and Inspection Service conducted a thorough risk analysis evaluating the impact on animal health and audited the Japanese inspection system. Their conclusion was that it is safe to allow imports of “whole cuts of boneless beef from Japan, provided that certain conditions are met,” including, of course, removal of specified risk material.

The proposal is seen as a step on the road to the ending of Japan’s ban on U.S. beef imports, but APHIS says it is in accordance with international guidelines developed by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

This proposed rule is scheduled for publication in the Aug. 18 Federal Register. Interested parties may comment on it through Sept. 19.