Taiwan to open doors to imports of all Japanese beef products

Taipei, May 5 (CNA) Taiwan is planning to allow the import of Japanese beef products of all ages but has yet to set a timeline, said Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) Director-General Chiang Chih-kang (姜至剛) on Monday.

The TFDA first proposed the plan on March 4, setting up a 60-day window to gather public opinion that ended Monday, but Chiang said more discussion was still needed before a firm timeline of when to lift existing restrictions on Japanese beef imports could be set.

Currently, Taiwan only allows imports of beef products from Japan from cattle no more than 30 months old.

The strict regulations were imposed in 2003 at the peak of the international outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease.

By 2017, import regulations were loosened up for beef imports from the United States, Canada and Japan, with permission eventually being given to import beef of all ages from the United States and Canada in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

Japan will likely soon be added to that list.

According to Chiang, Japan has not experienced a case of mad cow disease in over 15 years, and its beef has also been categorized by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) to be as safe as that of the U.S. and Canada.

Over 30 countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the European Union have already allowed the import of Japanese beef products of all ages into their territories, and Taiwan's opening will merely follow international standards, Chiang said.

The most conservative estimate of higher-risk boned beef products indicate that only one in 150 million consumers may be at risk of exposure to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), which is linked to mad cow disease, Chiang said.

On the actual timeline of the drafting of and completion of related regulations, Chiang said discussions will have to be held between experts and representatives of various fields for a gradual rollout to ensure safety.