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U.S. Wants More Easing of Japan Beef Test Rules -Kyodo
The United States urged Japan on Tuesday to exclude beef cattle under the age of 30 months from testing for mad cow disease, the latest sign of U.S. pressure on Japan to ease its testing standards, Kyodo news agency said.
Under intense pressure, Japan moved a step closer to easing a ban on U.S. beef in March after the government won approval for plans to drop its policy of testing all cattle for mad cow disease -- known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Japan's FSC concluded on March 28 a five-month discussion on whether to allow the government to exclude cattle younger than 21 months from mad cow testing, saying that relaxation of the testing regime would hardly increase the risk of contamination.
The request by the U.S. government was made in a letter to Japan's Food Safety Commission
Approval of the easier policy by the food safety watchdog is a precondition for Japan to implement an October 2004 agreement with the United States to resume imports of American beef from cattle aged below 21 months without conducting mad cow testing.
Cattle below the age of 21 months are considered to be at low risk from the brain-wasting disease.
Washington has expressed frustration with Japan's slowness in carrying out the agreement to restart imports, prompting some U.S. lawmakers to call for retaliatory sanctions against Japan.
The United States urged Japan on Tuesday to exclude beef cattle under the age of 30 months from testing for mad cow disease, the latest sign of U.S. pressure on Japan to ease its testing standards, Kyodo news agency said.
Under intense pressure, Japan moved a step closer to easing a ban on U.S. beef in March after the government won approval for plans to drop its policy of testing all cattle for mad cow disease -- known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Japan's FSC concluded on March 28 a five-month discussion on whether to allow the government to exclude cattle younger than 21 months from mad cow testing, saying that relaxation of the testing regime would hardly increase the risk of contamination.
The request by the U.S. government was made in a letter to Japan's Food Safety Commission
Approval of the easier policy by the food safety watchdog is a precondition for Japan to implement an October 2004 agreement with the United States to resume imports of American beef from cattle aged below 21 months without conducting mad cow testing.
Cattle below the age of 21 months are considered to be at low risk from the brain-wasting disease.
Washington has expressed frustration with Japan's slowness in carrying out the agreement to restart imports, prompting some U.S. lawmakers to call for retaliatory sanctions against Japan.
