  Resist U.S. pressure to secure safe beef -- Akahata editorial, October 1The United States is urging Japan to resume U.S. beef imports which Japan has suspended because of U.S. beef infected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). In the recent Japan-U.S. summit talks, Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro and U.S. President George W. Bush agreed on the importance of resuming beef trade between the two countries at the earliest possible date. The summit talks also confirmed that the two governments call for prompt consultations with an eye to resuming the trade. Strong pressure At consultations between experts and working level officials of the two countries, it has already been agreed that a final conclusion should be reached by summer. However, the overwhelming demand of Japanese consumers is that all U.S. beef need to be BSE-tested in order for Japan to resume imports. Because of this demand, summer passed into autumn without resumption of imports. In the Japan-U.S. summit talks, Bush stated that the question should not be left to bureaucrats and scientists but should be settled by the leadership of politicians. (September 29, NHK news) This statement caused subsequent consultations to be "upgraded" from working-level coordination. Food safety for the Japanese people will be seriously undermined if Japan yields to the pressure from Bush, who is keen on gaining the support of U.S. cattle growers in the November presidential election. The hurdle to resuming imports is the big difference between Japan and the United States over measures against BSE. In Japan, all beef cattle in the slaughter house are tested for BSE infection. In the United States, the BSE-test procedure is applied to less than one percent of beef cattle. In Japan, high risk parts for collecting abnormal prion that can cause BSE are removed from all beef cattle. In the United States, such high risk parts are removed only from beef cattle 30 months and older. Before pressing Japan to resume beef imports, the United States should conduct BSE test on all beef cattle and remove all high-risk parts. It should never distort issues concerning food safety with crass political priorities. In that regard, also unacceptable is Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Shimamura Yoshinobu's following remarks: He said, "In discussions with consumers, we hear many speak out in opposition to the abolition of the BSE test on all beef cows. But, no matter what results a review of the anti-BSE measures brings, it is impossible to gain 100 percent consumer support. The role of the government is to carry out an exhaustive study from a scientific standpoint and to take measures that seem to have 'no problem in common-sense terms.' Nevertheless, some consumers still do not eat beef, thinking that 'measures are unreliable.' There cannot be an absolute way in everything." As Agricultural Minister Shimamura admitted, a majority of consumers are in opposition to the abolition of the BSE test on all cows because the test has scientifically contributed in not only removing BSE-infected cows from the food chain but also in discovering BSE-infected calves between 21 and 23 months old, which was unpredictable in the beginning. If the BSE test on all cows is abolished on the grounds that "abnormal prions cannot be detected in cows under 20 months old," it may preclude future scientific studies. Multifold safety measures required Agricultural Minister Shimamura's remarks mean to explore "common-sense" measures separately from the BSE test on all cows and to neglect food safety in disregard of consumers' voice opposing the abolition of the test. BSE is a disease that is still not scientifically fully understood. Because there cannot be an "absolute" way, it is necessary to take multifold safety measures. Especially, the BSE test on all cows is an essential process of these measures. (end) |