The Consumers’ Foundation has called for the age of cattle used for beef to be disclosed should the government allow the importation of Japanese beef from cattle of any age.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week announced a draft revision to regulations on Japanese beef imports that would lift the ban on beef cattle over 30 months old.
The risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, in Japanese cattle still exists, the foundation said.
Photo: CNA
Consumers’ Foundation executive director Wu Jung-ta (吳榮達) on Saturday said that consumers have a right to know the age of the cattle so they can purchase products with peace of mind.
Foundation secretary-general Chen Ya-ping (陳雅萍) questioned the lack of explanation for the change, urging the ministry to detail its reasoning and the context for the revision.
She said the ministry was suddenly announcing the change without releasing inspection results or any other information.
The foundation raised concerns about the possible connection between the revisions and Taiwan’s negotiations for an economic partnership agreement with Japan, which it said could mean the government sacrificing public health for economic development.
The FDA said that risk assessments and safety reviews have been thorough, adding that the World Organisation for Animal Health has classified Japan as a “negligible BSE risk” country.
However, the foundation said that more than 10 cases of BSE have been reported in Japan since the first report in 2001.
The disease has an incubation period of 10 years and usually affects cows older than five years old.
Lifting the 30-month age cap would potentially expose consumers to infected meat and lead to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human variant of the disease.
The amendments are undergoing a 60-day review, during which the public can submit opinions on the proposal.
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