Japan calls for more stringent beef product checks by U.S.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka said Friday that the ministry has demanded that Washington step up beef quality checks when beef is being shipped from designated U.S. meat-processing facilities authorized to export to Japan.

The minister spoke in connection with beef from the Lexington, Nebraska plant of Tyson Fresh Meats Inc, which was exported to Japan in February without any U.S. certificate identifying the age of the cattle from which the meat was produced. Japan had resumed American beef imports last July on condition that the United States limits beef exports to Japan to meat from cattle aged up to 20 months to safeguard against mad cow disease.