Japan urged to eliminate US beef restrictions

The United States has urged Japan to eliminate import restrictions on U.S. beef aimed at preventing the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the latest push from Washington to open up the Japanese market to U.S. farm imports, bilateral diplomatic sources said Friday. The U.S. has called for scrapping Japan’s current restriction allowing only U.S. beef from cattle aged 30 months or younger on the grounds that the country has been internationally recognized as having the lowest risk for the disease. Read more…