US eases restriction on Japanese beef imports

Japan has resumed beef exports to US after Washington ended a two-year ban, which was imposed following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 2010.

The restriction on beef shipments was imposed by US in April 2010 after a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak occurred in Miyazaki prefecture.

The prefecture, considered to be a centre for livestock farming, was hit hard due to the outbreak, which led to massive culling of livestock to stop its spread.

Besides the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, US also had concerns over radioactive contamination in beef, following an accident at a nuclear plant in Fukushima prefecture in March 2011.

The latest move by the US to lift the ban comes after it reviewed food safety measures undertaken by Japan, which dispelled the fears over foot-and-mouth disease as well as radioactive contamination.

Japan will now be able to export cattle slaughtered on 18 August 2012 or later to the US.

Although the actual date for lifting the restriction was on 17 August 2012, US recently asked Japan to provide evidence of food safety measures taken after the accident at Fukushima.

Japan shipped about 81t of beef to the US in March 2010, and most of the beef exported was from wagyu – a specific Japanese breed capable of producing high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat.

With the latest US decision to ease the ban, Japan is also evaluating to lift the restrictions imposed on US beef after a mad cow disease contamination case was reported in California in April 2012.

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Image: Japan shipped about 81t of beef to the US in March 2010, and most of the beef exported was from wagyu , a native breed that is capable of producing high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat. Photo: Cgoodwin.