On December 8, 2022, MHLW issued two notices for comments, proposing amendments to the requirement for imported beef. As revealed by notices, beef products from Spain and Austria are exempted from the age restriction. Any comments can be submitted before January 6, 2023.
Japan has banned beef imports from 27 countries affected by Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) since 2001 but also has been restoring import conditions under regulations. Generally speaking, calves need to eat contaminated feed for a long time to get sick, and it is extremely difficult to be vertically infected by cows. Therefore, calves under 30 months old usually do not need to be checked for BSE in quarantine.
Besides, Japan regulates imported beef shall be proved coming from under 30 months of age. However, in the two notices, Food Safety Committee (FSC) proved that deleting the age condition for beef imported from Spain and Austria has no risk for humans. Therefore, MHLW decided to delete the existing 30 months condition and seek public comments.
Currently, beef import conditions for Spain and Austria:
Be from cattle that proven to be 30 months or younger (to be deleted);
Shall not contain specific risk parts, including:
-the tonsils and ileum of all ages (limited to the part 2 meters from the connection with the cecum)
-the head (excluding tongue, cheek meat, skin, and tonsils), over 30 months old
-spinal and spina
In addition to Spain and Austria, Japan also allows beef imports from other 14 countries if certain conditions are met. The details are as follows:
Country (updated date) | |||
Imported beef products are subject to animal quarantine in Japan. Before importing, enterprises should confirm whether the import is prohibited or suspended. Also, it is necessary to be accompanied by an export certificate by the government of the exporting country to pass the inspection by the Japanese Animal Quarantine Bureau.
Notably, fines for illegally importing livestock products have increased since 2020. According to the Act on Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control, if sent meat or meat products from abroad by international parcel, the consignee would be fined up to 3 million yen for individuals/50 million yen for businesses or imprisoned for up to 3 years.
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