September 2004
FSC supported the change in the mad cow disease screening in Japan.
Expert Committee on Prion under the Cabinet Office's Food Safety
Commission (FSC) met on September 6 to review their draft interim
report on risk management of BSE in Japan. The committee agreed that the
sensitivity of the current screening methods is not good enough to
detect BSE-positive cows in incubation period in younger cattle.
Their interim report concludes that the risk of contaminated beef finding
  its way into food circulation in Japan will not increase with the exemption of
  cattle aged 20 months or younger from the current screening for
  mad cow disease in Japan.
  The FSC endorsed the interim report from the Expert Committee
  on September 9. Objections have been raised from consumer groups
  against the decision of FSC. Some local government declared
  that they will still continue the screening of all cows including those
  aged 20 months or younger.
  The draft interim report in Japanese reviewed by the Expert Committee is
  available at the following website:
  http://www.fsc.go.jp/senmon/prion/p-dai14/index.html