Reports in the Japanese media say that Japan’s government plans to announce next week that it is reopening its borders to US beef imports.
The shift in policy will affect cattle aged up to 20 months, which have been banned since the first case of mad cow disease was discovered in the US two years ago.
Food safety officials there have said that they would continue the ban on US beef until the United States ramped up its inspection policy to Japanese standards; in Japan they test every cow for mad cow disease. But further negotiation between the two countries seems to have overcome that obstacle.
The shift in policy will affect cattle aged up to 20 months, which have been banned since the first case of mad cow disease was discovered in the US two years ago.
Food safety officials there have said that they would continue the ban on US beef until the United States ramped up its inspection policy to Japanese standards; in Japan they test every cow for mad cow disease. But further negotiation between the two countries seems to have overcome that obstacle.
- KC's View:
