Industry News

APHIS Reviewing Ban on Boneless Beef Imports from Japan

August 15, 2011


The Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently released a risk analysis concerning Japan’s foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) status and the risk of susceptible animals and animal products from Japan harboring the FMD virus. APHIS plans to use this evaluation as a basis for determining whether to recognize Japan as free of FMD and to allow the importation of whole cuts of boneless beef from Japan to resume. Other ruminant meat an meat byproducts, as well as fresh pork, live ruminants, and live swine will remain prohibited due to Japan’s status regarding bovine spongiform encephalopathy, classic swine fever, and swine vesicular disease.

APHIS removed Japan from the list of regions in the world considered free of rinderpest and FMD, and the list of regions considered free of rinderpest and FMD, but from which the importation of meat and other animal products is subject to additional restrictions last October. This decision was made after Japan reported to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) finding FMD in the Miyazaki prefecture. The OIE subsequently reinstated Japan to its list of countries free of FMD without vaccination on February 4, 2011.

APHIS will consider comments regarding the risk analysis submitted on or before September 26, 2011 (76 FR 44503).

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