The government on Wednesday ordered importers to recall U.S. beef products that might contain neural tissue, such as brain and spinal cord tissue, following the announcement that the United States has suffered its first case of mad cow disease, government officials said.
The parts in question are highly likely to contain prions, abnormal proteins believed to cause mad cow disease.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told reporters he has instructed the farm and health ministries to "act properly to ensure there will be no public anxiety."
The government will call on Washington to take safety measures similar to those implemented by Japan, farm ministry officials said. Japan checks all cattle at slaughterhouses and requires all neural tissue to be incinerated.
Japan will try to increase imports from Australia and New Zealand by sending officials there as early as next month, according to officials at the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry.
The food, retail and restaurant industries in Japan have sufficient stocks of beef to meet high demand in the holiday season but will suffer a serious blow if the import suspension is prolonged, they said.
On Tuesday, the United States announced the discovery of its first case of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, in Washington state, prompting Japan and South Korea to temporarily halt U.S. beef imports.
On Wednesday, Japan suspended quarantine procedures for the time being, according to farm minister Yoshiyuki Kamei.
Under the Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control Law, the ministry issues quarantine certificates necessary to import livestock and related products.