 U.S. management on BSE is sloppy: JCP Japanese Communist Party representative Kami Tomoko at the House of Councilors Budget Committee meeting on March 17 pressed the government to repel undue U.S. pressures put on Japan to resume U.S. beef imports. Pointing out that a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report has accused the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of "overstating industry's compliance with the animal feed ban and understating the potential risk of BSE," Kami criticized the U.S. government for escalating pressures on Japan to resume importing U.S. beef by threatening to impose economic sanctions against Japan. The FDA is supposed to carry out feed testing for U.S. cattle. Kami said that the United States does not take adequate measures on feed testing to prevent BSE outbreak, and demanded that Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro clearly tell U.S. President George Bush as well as Secretary of States Condoleezza Rice to first establish a proper system to regulate feedstuff and remove dangerous parts from meat. Prime Minister Koizumi replied, "I will place importance on food safety in dealing with the matter." (end) |