Opposition parties submit bills to require BSE tests to other countries

The Japanese Communist, Democratic, and Social Democratic parties on April 2 submitted to the House of Councilors two bills to prevent the BSE epidemic: one requiring beef from the U.S. and other countries to have a certificate that of having been tested BSE negative and the other requiring traceability records.

Under the laws, the government must establish a country-by-country evaluation of BSE status. Those countries that are recognized as having the possibility of producing BSE-infected cattle will be requested to submit a certificate that they have held BSE tests on all domestic cattle, eliminated beef parts that might have been infected, and taken steps to prevent infection.

The government will also be obliged to establish a system to record and keep traceability information on cows of imported beef, including where they are from, the date they were imported, how they had been raised, and where they had been transported to. When a BSE-infected cow is found in a beef-exporting country, domestic importing merchants will have to recall beef products they have sold, and the government will be required to take necessary measures.

The JCP joined two other opposition parties to submit the bills because that it is a matter of course to require other countries a having high risk of producing a BSE-infected cow to hold BSE tests on all cows and display traceability records since those duties are imposed domestically. (end)