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Japan

Twelfth BSE Case Reported As Trade Proposal Reportedly Is Floated

Japan Monday confirmed a new case of BSE at the same time as Japanese newspapers were reporting that the Japanese government had put forward a proposal that could reopen that market to U.S. beef.

The third discovery of the brain-wasting illness in the country this year, an official said Monday the 5-year-old dairy cow tested positive for BSE on Friday at a slaughterhouse in Shisui town, in southern Kumamoto prefecture (state) about 565 miles southwest of Tokyo.

Meanwhile, The Asahi Shinbum and Nikkei English News were reporting that the Japanese government had made a proposal to the United States on Sept. 10 in an effort to end the ban on U.S. beef products since the discovery of a single case of BSE here. These sources said the proposal was to allow the import of beef from animals 21 months of age or younger. USDA would not confirm that it had received such a proposal. Both sides early had set “the end of summer” as the target date for resolution of issues and resumption of trade. In addition, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is scheduled to hold talks with U.S. President George W. Bush on Sept. 21 in New York, which may provide additional impetus for resolution of the issue.

Internal discussions concerning the need for 100 percent testing continue among various Japanese government agencies. Japan’s Food Safety Commission last week approved an interim report of its Prion Committee that confirmed the removal of specific risk materials (SRM) as the most important food safety measure and admitted that testing of animals below a certain age would not assure detection of the disease.

Japan

Twelfth BSE Case Reported As Trade Proposal Reportedly Is Floated

Japan Monday confirmed a new case of BSE at the same time as Japanese newspapers were reporting that the Japanese government had put forward a proposal that could reopen that market to U.S. beef.

The third discovery of the brain-wasting illness in the country this year, an official said Monday the 5-year-old dairy cow tested positive for BSE on Friday at a slaughterhouse in Shisui town, in southern Kumamoto prefecture (state) about 565 miles southwest of Tokyo.

Meanwhile, The Asahi Shinbum and Nikkei English News were reporting that the Japanese government had made a proposal to the United States on Sept. 10 in an effort to end the ban on U.S. beef products since the discovery of a single case of BSE here. These sources said the proposal was to allow the import of beef from animals 21 months of age or younger. USDA would not confirm that it had received such a proposal. Both sides early had set “the end of summer” as the target date for resolution of issues and resumption of trade. In addition, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is scheduled to hold talks with U.S. President George W. Bush on Sept. 21 in New York, which may provide additional impetus for resolution of the issue.

Internal discussions concerning the need for 100 percent testing continue among various Japanese government agencies. Japan’s Food Safety Commission last week approved an interim report of its Prion Committee that confirmed the removal of specific risk materials (SRM) as the most important food safety measure and admitted that testing of animals below a certain age would not assure detection of the disease.