Blanket tests for BSE may come to end Japan

Main Category: CJD / vCJD / Mad Cow Disease
Article Date: 16 Jul 2004 - 0:00 PDT


The Japanese government panel studying policy on a test for the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, concluded in its draft report compiled Thursday that excluding young cattle from the test will pose little risk to human health, paving the way for an end to the current blanket test, government sources said.

Based on a final report to be compiled by the panel of the Cabinet Office's Food Safety Commission, the government is expected to start discussions to review the current policy in which all slaughtered cattle must be tested for the mad cow disease and instead conduct the test limited to cattle above a certain age.

The draft report will be announced in the panel's meeting Friday.

Reviewing the current blanket test policy would also pave the way for reopening of the Japanese market to U.S. beef, by the end of the year at the earliest. Continues.....The Daily Yomiuri

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