The government plans to issue a statement declaring the safety of Japanese beef on Thursday, when the health ministry is to begin more rigorous examinations for mad cow disease on all cows meant to be processed for human consumption.
Tsutomu Takebe, minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, said Tuesday that in addition to the declaration, the government must clearly show beef is safe once the examination system is firmly in place.
The government's move is aimed at quelling growing public concern about mad cow disease following the confirmation last month of Asia's first case of the fatal brain-wasting illness, formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.