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TIME HAS COME TO END BLANKET TESTING FOR BSE
The Cabinet Office's Food Safety Commission has released a draft report on bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, that says it is appropriate to end blanket testing of cows for BSE, acccording to The Daily Yomiuri as translated from the Yomiuri Shimbun by Kyodo
The panel pointed out that it is difficult to detect BSE in young cows, and that the risk of BSE transmission to human is extremely low.
After the panel reaches a final conclusion on the testing protocol, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, which is carrying out the across-the-board tests, plans to limit testing to cows above a certain age.
Japan is the only country in the world that carries out blanket tests for BSE. The time has come for this country to bring its BSE testing in line with global standards.
Instead of testing all cows for BSE, what is more important is to completely remove specified risk materials, such as brains, spinal cords and parts of the small intestine from slaughtered cows since abnormal prions, which are believed to cause the disease, accumulate in such organs.
The Food Safety Commission should clearly explain the current circumstances concerning BSE testing so as not to arouse consumers' concern about the wisdom of ending the blanket tests.
If the blanket BSE tests are ended, a resolution of the pending issue of the ban on imports of U.S. beef will become possible.
Tokyo has insisted that Washington introduce BSE testing as stringent as that carried out in this country as a condition for the resumption of beef imports from the United States. But Washington objected, saying there were no scientific grounds for blanket testing.
If across-the-board testing is ended, Japan's condition for resuming imports of U.S. beef would be eased to a level that the United States will be able to accept.
If imports of U.S. beef are resumed, gyudon beef bowl fans throughout the country would have cause for celebration. (July 17)
TIME HAS COME TO END BLANKET TESTING FOR BSE
The Cabinet Office's Food Safety Commission has released a draft report on bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, that says it is appropriate to end blanket testing of cows for BSE, acccording to The Daily Yomiuri as translated from the Yomiuri Shimbun by Kyodo
The panel pointed out that it is difficult to detect BSE in young cows, and that the risk of BSE transmission to human is extremely low.
After the panel reaches a final conclusion on the testing protocol, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, which is carrying out the across-the-board tests, plans to limit testing to cows above a certain age.
Japan is the only country in the world that carries out blanket tests for BSE. The time has come for this country to bring its BSE testing in line with global standards.
Instead of testing all cows for BSE, what is more important is to completely remove specified risk materials, such as brains, spinal cords and parts of the small intestine from slaughtered cows since abnormal prions, which are believed to cause the disease, accumulate in such organs.
The Food Safety Commission should clearly explain the current circumstances concerning BSE testing so as not to arouse consumers' concern about the wisdom of ending the blanket tests.
If the blanket BSE tests are ended, a resolution of the pending issue of the ban on imports of U.S. beef will become possible.
Tokyo has insisted that Washington introduce BSE testing as stringent as that carried out in this country as a condition for the resumption of beef imports from the United States. But Washington objected, saying there were no scientific grounds for blanket testing.
If across-the-board testing is ended, Japan's condition for resuming imports of U.S. beef would be eased to a level that the United States will be able to accept.
If imports of U.S. beef are resumed, gyudon beef bowl fans throughout the country would have cause for celebration. (July 17)
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