Farm minister Tsutomu Takebe pledged Tuesday to maintain a ban on the distribution of 13,000 tons of beef from cows butchered before nationwide cattle testing began for mad cow disease on Oct. 18.
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry "will never authorize distribution of this beef," Takebe told a news conference.
By ministry order, beef producers and wholesalers have stored 13,000 tons of beef in refrigerated warehouses made from cows slaughtered before the examinations began.