U.S. beef stored in Japan may go on sale
U.S. beef that has been unable to clear customs after arrival in Japan due to the country''s reinstated import ban will likely be allowed to go on sale after the ban is eased, possibly in July, government sources said Thursday.
The government is set to allow the beef to be sold because a recent report by the U.S. government shows that the meat was processed adequately in accordance with Japanese safety criteria, the sources said.
The stockpiled meat is expected to be the first American beef to reach Japanese consumers after the easing of the import ban on U.S. beef.
The ban was put into effect Jan. 20, or only about a month after the Japanese government partially lifted its two-year-old embargo on U.S. beef, as backbone, believed to have high risks associated with mad cow disease, was found in a cargo of U.S. veal.
The stockpiled beef in question arrived in Japan shortly before the launch of the renewed ban.
The original U.S. beef ban was introduced in December 2003 following the discovery of the first U.S. case of the brain-wasting disease, formally called bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
According to the Japan Meat Traders Association, a total of 1,250 tons of American beef that have been unable to clear customs are stored in Japan, including 1,000 tons held by member companies of the association. (Jiji Press)
June 2, 2006