Japan, the biggest buyer of American beef before an outbreak of mad cow disease prompted the country to ban imports, is analyzing the safety of meat from cattle older than 20 months amid U.S. calls to normalize the trade.
Japan restricts U.S. beef imports to cattle aged 20 months or younger on concern that older animals may be at higher risk for the disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The nation’s Food Safety Commission must rule that any change in policy won’t increase human health risks, in order for imports of older cattle to resume.
Japan banned American beef when the U.S. disclosed its first case in 2003. The ban was relaxed in 2005 to allow meat from young cattle. Companies including Tyson Foods Inc. and Cargill Inc. lose about $1 billion in sales a year because of the restriction, said the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
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