Anti-U.S. Beef Activists Well
Represented At Japan Hearings
By Richard Smith
TOKYO — Consumer group and food industry representatives expressed serious doubts over the effectiveness of additional U.S. anti-BSE measures at the first four of 10 hearings conducted throughout Japan from June 1 through 14.
The hearings are conducted by officials from Japan's ministries of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and of Health, Labor and Welfare.
The officials explained additional anti-BSE measures the U.S. implemented, following March and May meetings here between a technical team led by USDA acting undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs Chuck Lambert, and Japanese counterparts.
The U.S. officials told the Japanese side all 35 plants that want to export beef to Japan have manuals on how to remove the forbidden parts, and their workers underwent training for that purpose. Parts not on a list of permitted products will not be included in shipments.
Both sides agreed Japan will send inspectors to verify the plants before import resumption, and Japanese inspectors can accompany FSIS and AMS inspectors on an unannounced basis to inspect plants after resumption. Japan will also reinforce inspections at entry points.
The additional measures have been implemented to prevent a recurrence of the January 20 incident when backbone, a forbidden part under anti-BSE export to Japan rules, was discovered in a veal shipment from Atlantic Veal and Lamb of Brooklyn, New York.
Reacting to the mishap, the Japanese government reimposed a ban on U.S. beef after lifting a two-year interdiction because of BSE the previous month.
Media here reported last month the Japanese government wants to lift the ban before Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi's summit talks with president Bush at the end of this month. An announcement after the summit would make the government appear to give in to U.S. pressure.
"Why are you in such a hurry? We don't think safety is really assured," said one of 100 participants at the June 1 hearing in the city of Sendai.
"Can (the additional measures) prevent a recurrence?" said another speaker, the Tokyo-based agricultural daily Nihon Nogyo Shimbun reported.
The newspaper reported a consumer group representative asked whether the Japanese government would reimpose a total ban if another human error occurs.
"Can consumer and other groups participate in plant inspections?" another one said.
Fears over U.S. beef safety have not been stilled, said a speaker the next day in Naha, the capital of Japan's southern island of Okinawa.
"Citizens' trust is far from recovered. We want you to delay import renewal," said another, reported one of the city's dailies, Ryukyu Shimpo.
One of 200 participants at the May 5 hearing in Sapporo, the capital of the big northern island of Hokkaido, said daily Japanese inspections at U.S. processing plants would be necessary, Nihon Nogyo Shimbun reported.
"We want the beef's origin indicated on restaurant menus by law," said a consumer group representative.
The latter demand was repeated the following day in the city of Nagoya, Nihon Nogyo Shimbun reported.
"Considering U.S. feedlot rules and other issues, we don't want to eat U.S. beef," a consumer group representative said.