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