040124 　「安全と安心」：米国産食肉牛のＢＳＥ問題をめぐる日米対立


米国産食肉牛のＢＳＥ問題について、全頭検査を求める日本政府と「合理的
な対応」で済ませたい米国政府の間で意見の対立が続いております。

これは一種の危機管理問題ですが、見方によっては、原子力発電関係のトラ
ブル問題（たとえば先年のＭＯＸ燃料を巡る英国ＢＮＦＬと関西電力の問題や
ＪＣＯ事故時の風評被害問題など）にも多少似た所があるようで、両国政府が
今後これをどのような方法で解決するかーー下手をすると米国産牛肉に対す
る日本人消費者の信頼が長期にわたって失われる惧れがありますーーしばら
くお手並み拝見、というところでしょう。　来日した米国農務省の次官が昨日
行なった記者会見の概要（在日米国大使館提供）をご参考までに。
--KK

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Transcript: Testing All U.S. Cows for BSE Not Necessary, Officials Say

(In Japan, they say beef trade should be science-based)

U.S. officials visiting Japan said the United States does not think it is
necessary to test for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in all
slaughtered cattle to ensure the safety of U.S.-produced beef.

In a January 23 press briefing in Tokyo following a meeting with Japanese
officials, J.B. Penn, U.S. under secretary of agriculture for farm and
foreign agricultural services, said it is neither efficient nor effective
to do "massive testing" of younger cattle in which BSE "is very unlikely
to manifest itself."

Japan, which experienced BSE --- or mad cow disease -- in 2001, tests 100
percent of the cattle it slaughters. The country has banned the import of
beef from the United States since a single case of BSE was found in
December in Washington state.

The United States concentrates its testing on "higher risk" animals,
including older cows and cows that have calved, because the system
provides the highest probability of identifying animals that would exhibit
the disease, said Charles Lambert, deputy under secretary of agriculture
for marketing and regulatory programs. This is the same testing system
used in Europe and other countries, he said.

Penn said that while both Japan and the United States have agreed they
want a resumption of U.S. beef trade "as quickly as possible," the United
States wants the resumption to be based on "solid science" principles that
give "maximum reassurance of consumer safety."

Penn described the meeting as a "meaningful" and "productive" exchange of
views and information. A follow-up meeting is planned for February, he
said.

He said that because there is a "great need" to reassure Japanese
consumers about the safety of U.S. beef, the U.S. officials repeatedly
stressed that beef from the United States is safe.

Lambert said the United States federal government is "moving forward very
aggressively" --- including coordinating with state governments and the
beef industry --- to develop a national identification and tracking system
for cattle.

Japan initially sent a delegation to Washington, D.C., and Washington
state days after the case was announced December 23 to gather information
about the country's first-ever case of BSE.

In 2002, the last year for which statistics are available, the United
States exported $1 billion worth of beef to Japan, or nearly one-third of
its total beef exports, Penn said. About nine percent of total U.S. beef
production is exported, he said.

U.S. beef accounts for 29 percent of beef consumption in Japan, Penn said.
It is unlikely that other country suppliers, such as Australia, would be
able to totally meet Japan's demand for beef, he added.